


An Epic Retelling

by Aysu



Category: Epic Battle Fantasy
Genre: Adventure, EBF4, Epic Battle Fantasy 4, F/M, Godcat, Novelization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-16 01:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 87,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5808028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aysu/pseuds/Aysu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mystic jewel has been stolen and it was only the first. Now, four young heroes must journey to get them back or else face the total obliteration of everything. Follow them on their quest to retrieve the stolen jewels to prevent a malevolent god from awakening and destroying the world in a wrathful fury. This is a novelization of Epic Battle Fantasy 4. COMPLETE</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is also over on my account at FanFiction.net, but people have expressed an interest in having it up here as well. I have not edited it since the last time I touched it over there, and I do not plan to as it serves as an example of how far I've come as an author. The only change is that I will be leaving the author's notes out from the story. Please leave me some comments on your favorite chapters, scenes, etc. I always love to hear from my readers! Enjoy my first attempt at fan fiction!

There was no light, yet it was not dark. There was no noise, yet it was not silent. A void was where She had been banished to; contained by the magic of three sacred jewels. How long She had dwelt there, She didn't know. Hours, days, years, millennia, even, perhaps. It hardly mattered for She knew She only had to wait. Her children would learn the error of their actions and then they would seek to free Her from Her prison. It was simply a matter of time…

* * *

Greenwood Village was a quiet and peaceful community full of honest people who made their living off the land or by slaying monsters from the nearby wilderness. So, understanding all of that, it was rather strange to hear hushed voices and muffled thumps coming from the closed store in the predawn light.

"What are you stealing colored twigs for…?" A male voice whispered.

"Aren't they pretty? NoLegs agrees with me, don't you, NoLegs?" A female responded, her voice a cheerful whisper.

"Meow?"

The girl went on quietly, "Anyway, how do plan to carry all of those swords and gems? You're just making yourself an easy target."

"Just let him take them then, while he's getting attacked, we can use him as a distraction to get away." A new male responded.

The first male gave a quiet, irritated grunt, "Very funny, Lance. Besides, I don't have any of these in my collection and just think of all the gold we'll get for these gems!"

"Shh! I think the shop keep is coming to open up! Quickly, out the window!" the girl suddenly hissed.

There was a muffled shuffling and then two shadows slipped out the window and into the high bushes behind the shop the first one dashing ahead into the woods followed by the second. Shortly after was a clattering combined with muttered swears as a large sack was forced through the window followed by a third figure who proceeded to heft the sack over his shoulder and make for the tree line as well.

" _Almost there…_ " The third figure thought as he tried to prevent the loot in his sack from making too much noise. He was almost there, not even a yard away, and began to think he'd made it when suddenly,

"What-? Hey, my merchandise! Stop, you thief!" The shout came from the startled owner of the store who had walked yawning around the store upon hearing the suspicious clinking sound and spotted the conspicuous figure creeping toward the trees in the early morning light.

" _Damn it_ , _and_ _to think I was just laughing off this very scenario not ten minutes ago,_ " the thief mentally complained. Having been spotted, and there being no way to explain away just what he was doing with all of the weaponry and other valuables of the local store, the thief made a quick decision, dropped all efforts of being quiet, and started an awkward, over-encumbered dash for the woods closely followed by the irate shop keeper.

The chase was not very swift as the thief was weighed down by the sack containing every weapon gem and the store owner was an older man who enjoyed his fine food and drink just a little too often. They crashed through the underbrush, branches whipping their limbs and faces, one hollering promises of broken knee caps and flaying while the other saved his breath for running mentally cursing his so-called _friends_ for taking off and leaving him to the evil and creative designs of an angry old man.

The sun was beginning to get fairly high in the sky and the shafts of light piercing the branches revealed the thief to be a young man with long blond hair two braids on each side of his head. He wore a pirate outfit, complete with a feathered hat. Strapped across his back in a leather sheath chased with red was a fine sword with a gold and red hilt inlaid with rubies. The store owner froze in shock, jaw dropping as he recognized exactly who this person was. The young blond was Matt the swordsman who had helped take down the evil god Akron and saved the entire world! There had been the occasional rumors that adventurers and other visitors mentioned when they stopped by for supplies. They said that Matt and his two friends were bored and had taken to robbing stores and towns claiming that since they had saved the world they were entitled to everything in it. He had passed it off as just a tale that the occasional wanderer would spin hoping to be hired as a sentry or bodyguard; never had he believed it to be true!

Suddenly remembering just what he had been doing, the owner gave a startled jerk and looked wildly around for a glimpse of the hero-turned-thief. But unfortunately while he had been caught in his realizations, Matt had given him the slip and was nowhere to be seen. His face turned an unhealthy shade of purple in rage and he whipped around to stalk back to town to report the theft, snarling under his breath about self-entitled brats the entire way.

Meanwhile not too far away, a much greater theft had happened…


	2. Chapter Two

On the far side of Greenwood, inside one of the many tree houses, a young ranger named Anna was just finishing dressing for another day of scouting the woods around her home. She stood up from the stool in front of her dresser stretching her arms over her head and shook her head once to toss her viridian bangs out of her face. The rest of her hair was pulled into pigtails clipped back with stylized leaf barrettes. Giving her appearance a final glance in the mirror, she deemed the brown dress with its belts and pouches over the darker brown leggings and bits of leather armor suitable for her foray into the woods.

Anna padded to the door, soft leather boot muffling her footsteps, pausing to snag her favorite bow, Sky Feather, and her quiver of arrows from their hooks on the wall and swing them over her shoulder. She stepped out the door and locked it behind her while taking a deep breath of the crisp morning air. Turning to the path out of the village, she smiled and hummed a cheery tune as she set out for Ashwood Forest.

Halfway to the exit of the village, however, Anna hesitated on the dirt path, hearing a clamor of loud angry voices coming from the direction of the altar that held the Greenwood Jewel. Curious, she changed direction, assuming that some slime or two had taken a liking to the village's sacred treasure again, and would need to be taken care of.

 _"That, or Old Lana caught Sam and Chris asleep on the job again_ ," Anna thought to herself with a giggle as she drew closer to the site and the voices became louder. The elderly priestess considered the brothers' careless attitude about guarding the Jewel sacrilegious and if she ever caught them slacking on their duties it always led to an explosively loud lecture filled with outrageous what-if's. It always caused a few people to stop their daily routines to watch with amusement.

When she arrived however, she was quite puzzled to see what looked like the entire village milling around the altar in an angry throng. " _Weird, Lana's lectures don't normally draw this big of an audience,"_ Anna mused as she shoved her way through the crowd to see what all the fuss was about.

When she finally managed to get to the front her green eyes widened and her jaw dropped. There, slumped on the ground unconscious in front of the massive carved stump that was the Altar for the Greenwood Jewel, were the two lazy brothers. Both had small trickles of blood running down their faces from large bumps already swelling on the tops of their heads, their ceremonial swords lay on the ground next to them out of their sheaths. The priestess Lana was kneeling next to them with a bowl of herbal water and a cloth, cleaning the wounds.

Fearing the worst, and yet knowing what had almost certainly happened, Anna wrenched her eyes up to check the altar. Her heart dropped as her worst fears were confirmed. The Greenwood Jewel that their village had guarded for countless generations was gone, whisked away by some thief whom probably didn't even know what it was or could potentially do.

Immediately swinging around to face the crowd, Anna raised her voice, "Has anyone unusual been seen in the village today?" People exchanged a few uncertain glances, a whisper here and a shrug there, but no one had seen or heard anything. " _Figures that no one knows since we don't have an active watch here,"_ Anna thought glumly.

Suddenly a new person burst through the bushes with a loud crash. Everyone in the clearing swung around to see who it was; Anna unslung her bow from her back and placed an arrow on the string, ready to fire in a heartbeat. There, with sweat running down his red face and completely out breath, was the local shopkeeper. He seemed angry, which was unusual since he was known to be a pretty laid-back man.

"Did you see the thief, or thieves?" Anna asked hopefully, lowering her bow.

"You already… know about them?" The man huffed out in baffled amazement, "I was just… coming to… report them. My shop has been… cleared out. The gold, the weapons, the gems… even the Colored Twigs and Lanky Roots are gone! I'm ruined," he wailed.

"So there's more than one? Did you see what they looked like or which way they went?" Anna asked quickly, gripping her bow tightly in her hand. The store wasn't too far from the altar and everyone knew the chubby shopkeeper couldn't run very far or long, there was a good possibility that she could track the thieves down and teach them exactly what happened when you stole from her town.

The man, having caught his breath, began to explain what had happened and whom he had seen, "I heard strange sounds coming from the back of my shop when I came to open up for the day. There was a young man with a massive bag chocked full of my wares making for the trees behind my store. I chased him through the trees; the bag must weigh a ton because he wasn't moving very fast. I'm not positive, but I _think_ it was one of the heroes, Matt. He had a pirate getup on with what looked like Heaven's Gate—that sword he supposedly uses?—strapped to his back. Though, I didn't see any of the others there so it might not have been him."

The crowd began to get worked up again, all shouting at the same time causing a bedlam of anger: "Damn them!" "How dare they think they can get away with this?!" "I'll bet they took the Greenwood Jewel too, filthy thieves!"

Anna shifted her weight to one leg and closed her eyes as she thought quickly about what she had been told. " _There_ have _been rumors of Matt and his friends running around stealing whatever isn't nailed down… sometimes even what is nailed down. It's not out of the question that they took the Jewel along with everything from the store._ " Her eyes opened again, filled with a determined emerald fire. "I'm going after them," she declared firmly, causing the hubbub of the crowd to die down again. "If he's being slowed up with all the stuff he stole, then it will be easy to track him down; that is what I do after all. I'll interrogate him on any accomplices, too. I'll bring the Jewel and all of your merchandise back."

The crowd cheered, they had complete faith in Anna's tracking abilities; she was a prodigy in the village known for both her wood craft and her dead-shot talent with a bow despite only being eighteen. If anyone in the village could bring back the Jewel, it was Anna.

The young ranger, with the crowd's cheers at her back, set off for the shop to pick up Matt's trail. Her face was set with determination, " _The_ _stolen wares are a problem, but the missing Jewel is a far bigger deal. I have to get it back, I have to. If I don't and the others have also been taken…_ "She cut the thought off with a shiver, kneeling down to check the ground for foot prints. " _Well, that won't be problem if I just catch Matt and his friends. Ah, ha! There we go!"_ She had found four sets of tracks and a scuffed depression from something being dropped and began to read who or what had made the tracks. The signs, along with the shopkeeper's description, all pointed to the former world saviors. One belonged to a cat, Matt's pet NoLegs. A smaller set probably belonged to the mage, Natalie. And finally, two sets belonging to the guys, Matt and Lance. One was much deeper than the others indicating that they were much heavier or, more likely, carrying something heavy. She stood up straight and started a brisk jog into the trees, following the trail.


	3. Chapter Three

Anna slipped silently through the foliage, just one shadow amongst the many cast by the branches above her. She had been following the thieves' trails for the better part of an hour now, bow drawn and arrow at the ready. Two of them had taken completely different routes once inside: one seemed to just vanish into nothingness—the signs of someone who knew how to cover their tracks. Another had taken a route over a tracker's nightmare: pine needles. Only the heaviest set stayed easily visible, going straight through the trees, so Anna decided to follow the easiest one as they had already had a head start on her.

The more of the signs she spotted, however, the more tense she became; adrenalin made the colors of the forest surrounding her seem sharper and even the slightest noise from rustling leaves or the various small monsters she passed seemed overly loud. A trickle of sweat slipped down the back of her neck from her heightened nerves; it was almost as if the thief _wanted_ to be followed. The broken branches, deep footprints, and hastily snapped vines that once crossed the path were all signs so easy to follow that Anna was convinced she was being led into an ambush. " _After all, no one could possibly_ _be_ this _obvious and stupid about covering the tracks they made unless they had assurance that any potential followers could—and would—be dealt with, and one or both of the other two may have looped back,_ " _s_ he thought, nervously fingering the fletching of the arrow she had loosely held against her bow. There was nothing for it, though, the Greenwood Jewel needed to be retrieved as swiftly as possible so she resolved to be as ready as she could for any potential traps or ambushes that she may be headed towards. " _At least this is my home turf, my specialty. They probably won't even notice me before I send a few arrows their way. Besides, it's not like this is the first time I've had to track down a bandit,_ " she thought both to comfort and chastise herself.

Anna froze suddenly, aware of a slight change in the atmosphere around her. Heart thudding in her chest, she slowly and carefully glanced around the clearing, wondering what had changed. After a few seconds of careful inspection, Anna realized she could hear faint shuffling noises and low curses coming from the other side of a copse of trees in front of her. Quickly but silently, she pressed up against the thickest one and peered around the edge of it, her anxious heart beat slowing down as the instinct honed by years of experience hunting alone in the woods came into play. Her green eyes hardened into chips of jade, as they fell on her quarry at the far end of a clearing. Anna shifted clear of the trunk and drew her bow back to full draw.

* * *

Not twenty yards away from the hidden ranger, and completely unaware of the danger he was in, Matt had deemed himself safe and shifted the heavy sack of weapons and gems he had looted from the Greenwood shop to his other shoulder and leaned against a nearby tree with a low groan to rest.

"Ugh, where the hell are Natz and Lance? They can't be that far ahead of me," Matt wondered. "Oh, well, if I hang around here they'll probably find me. Besides, I doubt that lazy shop keeper is still after me."

The young swordsman glanced over his shoulder at his prize bag with a grin, "Might as well look over the goods! Man, I'm going to buy a whole pizza with this stuff and too bad when Lance and Natalie want some! It'll serve them right for just ditching me back there."

Just as Matt began to put the bag of stolen loot down, a loud thrumming-thwacking sound split the peaceful air and he jerked to the side in surprise, the heavy bag throwing off his balance and causing him to stumble sideways. That slight shift turned out to be a lucky break for him as an arrow seemed to just appear in the trunk of the tree he was standing against, quivering from the impact and just missing pinning his bag to the trunk. Not even bothering to look at who the arrow came from, he started his hindered sprint with renewed, panic-driven energy.

" _Maybe if I can get behind these trees fast enough I can avoid becoming an oversized pin cushion,"_ Matt thought wildly, briefly considering that he would do much better if he dropped the cumbersome bag before deciding against it.

" _I doubt this mysterious assailant can fire off enough arrows to stop me, anyway,_ " was the last thing Matt thought before an almost inhumanly fast series of thrums sang through the air and a hail of arrows fell on and around him. Pain caused him to collapse on the ground with arrows riddling his back and limbs. The bag fell next to him, contents spilling across the forest floor.

"So much… for that… idea," Matt groaned into the ground, pained words hissed through gritted teeth. Everything hurt and he could feel the warm sticky feeling of blood seeping from the wounds. He listened to the light footsteps of his attacker move slowly towards him, shifting through the scattered goods before stopping next to him. He closed his eyes tightly as he waited for the final blow to fall down and hoped that Lance and Natalie wouldn't meet the same fate.

* * *

Anna kept an arrow nocked and ready as she cautiously approached the fallen blond swordsman, half expecting him to suddenly spring back up ad attack her. However, after getting close to his prone form, she saw his body shivering in pain, the arrows stuck in him quivering slightly as he shook. "Stop moving or I'll stick you with another arrow," Anna ordered when he tried to squirm away, causing him to freeze instantly. Deeming him not a threat for the moment, she slipped her ready arrow back in its quiver and slung Sky Feather over her shoulder. The young ranger then removed the sword from its sheath on his back and tossed it out of reach as an added precaution, ignoring his weak protests. Anna examined his wounds for a few moments and determined that they weren't fatal and could be left alone for a little while before she steeled herself to ignore them—she hated leaving anything in pain, even thieves who had just looted her village—and started interrogating him.

"I'm going to assume you are Matt and even if you aren't, I know you stole from the shop at Greenwood this morning. Where is the Greenwood Jewel? I don't see it here among all the other stuff you stole, so where is it?" She demanded in a low, cold voice. "Does one of your friends have it?"

"Greenwood Jewel…? Lance and Natalie… don't care about… that kind of stuff. If the gem you're looking for… isn't here, then I don't… know where it is…" Matt ground out between painful breaths, confirming his identity and offering what information he could in hopes that this crazy archer chick would leave him alone for his friends to hopefully find him, " _…More likely she'll put me out of my misery, though,_ " he thought in dismal resignation as another shiver of pain wracked his form. He let out a low moan as spots began to swim behind his eyelids and his thoughts started to grow hazy as blood continued to flow from his many arrow wounds.

" _I wish Natz was here to heal me and so…_ " Was the last thing Matt thought before he slipped into unconsciousness, his body lost all tension and slumped still on the ground.

Anna leaned back and brushed a few loose green hairs out of her face as she considered what Matt had told her. " _I don't think he's lying,_ " she mused thoughtfully, before turning to pull an ocarina out of one of the pouches at her waist. " _And even if he is lying, I need to treat those wounds before he dies of blood loss._ "

Anna placed her mouth on the instrument and played a few notes. A circle of glowing runes appeared underneath Matt's unconscious form and the arrows stuck in his body dissolved into light and the tears in his clothing disappeared. A few more notes and the wounds themselves closed over. A final long low note rang out and Matt's eyes fluttered open again. Anna backed up a few paces—keeping herself between Matt and his sword—stuffed her ocarina back into its pouch, and readied her bow, just in case.

Matt, however, just rolled over stiffly with a groan and pushed himself to sit up. He blinked a few times in disorientation before tossing a relieved, if slightly confused, grin her way. "I don't know why you healed me but, thanks," Matt said with a quiet sincerity, "I thought that was it for me."

"It was nothing," Anna uncomfortably mumbled, bow still in front of her but no longer drawn back. "I really do need to get the Greenwood Jewel back, though, so you are going to take me to your friends so I can ask if they stole it."

Matt gave the mysterious, green-haired archer girl a long, unreadable look and tugged on one of his braids in thought.

He was positive that neither Lance nor Natalie would have taken any jewels; that was his thing—along with any swords not in his collection, of course! He didn't know anything about her; plus she _had_ shot him. But then again, she did heal him afterwards, even if she didn't have too. Granted, she was the reason he needed the healing in the first place, but didn't he kind of deserve the injuries for getting caught? Matt noted the slightly desperate look in her emerald eyes; this Greenwood Jewel thing must be important to her. He also had to admire the fact that she came out here alone, seemingly knowing beforehand who he and his friends were, took him down before he even saw her, but didn't leave him to die. She seemed like a trustworthy person and if she just needed information on some gem then he didn't really see the problem.

* * *

While Matt was considering all of this, Anna tried not to shift under the intense gaze of the blue eyes that stared at her. She could tell he was thinking about what she had demanded and that he was trying to decide whether or not she could be trusted. Anna began to chew on the corner of her lip in worry. If Matt refused to take her to his friends she could tail him back, but then what would she do? She knew she wouldn't be able to take all three of the heroes on at once, especially with their wits about them.

Matt finally spoke up, "Do you promise to only talk to them; you won't fire any arrows or try to hurt them in any other way?"

Anna's face lit up. "I swear I will not try to hurt any of you any more as long as you guys don't try to hurt me or keep the Greenwood Jewel to yourselves, if they have it," she promised.

"OK, then, mystery chick! Let's go track down Lance and Natz," Matt said with a goofy grin on his face. He walked passed her and scooped up Heaven's Gate from where it lay on the ground and sheathed it before turning back to face her.

Anna blinked in confusion at the strange way of being addressed before blushing slightly in embarrassment as she introduced herself, "Oh, right, you don't know my name! I'm Anna, a ranger from Greenwood Village." She held out her hand for Matt to shake.

Matt shook her hand with a smile, "Well, you already seem to know I'm Matt the swordsman. So now that we've got that out of the way, let's get going!" He turned to start walking only spin back when Anna let out a shrill whistle. He stared at her and opened his mouth to ask what the whistle was for when he heard a rustle coming from the nearby bushes Anna was facing.

He whipped out Heaven's Gate and dove at the small wooden creature that waddled out heading for Anna. Without waiting to see what would happen he screamed, "DIE, KINDLING!" and leapt forward, slicing the Wood Idol in two halves that clattered to the ground. He turned to Anna who was staring at him in shock and irritation.

"What'd you do that for?!" She yelled at him.

"It was a monster, slicing up monsters is what I do!" Matt replied in confusion.

Anna puffed a cheek out in exasperation, "For the love of-! I called it to take all the stuff you stole back to town along with a message of what I'm doing. Now," She ignored the put-out look on Matt's face at the idea of returning his hard-stolen loot and continued, "I'm going to call another one, if you can't handle not slicing it as soon as it appears, then please sit on your hands so you can't use your sword."

Matt rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, watching as Anna called another Wood Idol which proceeded to gather up all the scattered items. Once armed with the bag of stuff and a note from Anna, the creature waddled off towards the village.

Anna turned back to face the blond swordsman who was staring forlornly at where the Idol had been, rolled her eyes, and walked passed him. "Now, let's go find your friends," she said over her shoulder, heading into the trees with Matt trailing sullenly after her.


	4. Chapter Four

A young mage in a red dress holding a cat watched frozen with bright blue eyes the size of saucers as her good friend—and secret crush—Matt fall to the ground with many arrows puncturing his body. She had orange hair pulled back with a red ribbon to keep the strands out of her face. A polished, twisting redwood staff with a blue crystal affixed to the top and a red bow tied below the crystal was strapped to her back.

Natalie slowly and silently slipped backwards further into the thick foliage in a state of horrified disbelief, unaware she was even moving, with an equally stunned NoLegs clutched to her chest. Her pace suddenly sped up to a mad sprint through the woods, her mind unconsciously realizing she was far enough away to no longer have to worry about how noisy she was being. With tears welling up in her eyes to run down her face, Natalie shouldered her way past tree branches and bushes uncaring of how they snagged on her clothes and hair like clutching hands attempting to stop her frenzied dash. As she ran, the verdant greens around her began to be interspersed with orange and brown, her tears causing the colors blurring together.

The distraught girl didn't know how long she had been running for when her body finally forced her to slow to a halt. Her chest heaved in sharp, rasping gasps as her lungs attempted to get air to her body, breaths painful from both physical exertion as well as emotional distress. She staggered to a nearby fallen tree on trembling legs and collapsed to a seat on it still in a state of shock. " _Matt was killed right in front of me,"_ the thought caused a new wave of tears to stream down her cheeks. NoLegs squirmed his way out of her arms to huddle next to her, seeking to comfort one another in their grief. Neither were aware that they had wound up the very edge of the protected forests and were very near the much wilder and more dangerous end of Ashwood. They had unwittingly stumbled into the territory of the larger and more aggressive denizens of the forest. One such monster was watching them closely from the shadow of surrounding trees.

* * *

Anna and Matt were walking down a narrow game trail more commonly used by Tanuki and Friendly dogs. Anna was leading, as she was the one who knew what to look for in tracking, occasionally letting out an exasperated sigh. The cause for Anna's exasperation trailed a few steps behind, still mumbling about how he had stolen that stuff fair-and-square with a pout on his face.

The monotony of their trek was broken by a sudden rustling noise. Three small furry creatures leapt out of the brush to the side of the path ahead and growled at the two adventures. Two were a soft brown with reddish fur on their tail-tips and forming what looked like masks on their faces. The third monster had cream colored fur with dark brown fur covering its legs. Strangely, all three of the dog-like creatures had what looked like alcohol jugs hanging around their necks. Matt snapped out of his sulk and sprang forward to stand slightly in front of Anna—his sword already in hand—eager for combat. Anna slid back two steps as she swung Sky Feather off her shoulder and nocked an arrow.

Matt twisted his head to glance back at Anna over his shoulder, "You go for the Friend Dog first and I'll go for the Tanuki on the left. Okay?"

"Got it, we don't want that thing healing them. Let's do this," Anna said with firm nod.

With a loud cry of, "You'll make a fine rug, mutt!" Matt sprang for the Tanuki with Heaven's Gate raised over his head ready to slice the monster in two. At the same time, Anna loosed her first arrow at the friend dog. Her arrow found its mark in the monster's left shoulder causing the creature to let out a whimpering yelp and fall to the ground dead. Shortly after, Matt brought his sword down and the Tanuki Dog fell dead with a bloody score across its neck.

The final monster had slipped passed Matt and was charging at Anna, taking a gulp out of the container around its neck on its way. The alcohol had a strange effect on the beast; it became even faster and more riled letting out a feral snarl as it leapt the last few feet towards its target: Anna's throat. With not enough time to nock an arrow and shoot, Anna gripped the shaft of the projectile and swung it with all her strength into the Tanuki Dog's neck. The monster's fangs were inches from her throat, eyes glaring with the wild fury of a predator, before it slumped down, the light fading. Ann released the arrow with a shuddering sigh of relief at the close call and let the monster's body drop to the ground.

Matt came back over and gave Anna a high five. "Nice one! I've never seen an arrow used like that before," he praised.

"Thanks," Anna sheepishly chuckled and started walking again, "I don't normally get in that close to a monster. It was all I could think of but whatever works, I suppose. Now then! Let's get back to finding your friends. How far, and where, do you think they went?"

Matt frowned thoughtfully, falling in step behind the ranger once again. "We didn't really set a place to meet up again; we weren't expecting the shop keeper to open up so early." He narrowed his blue eyes in thought, "Natalie shouldn't be too hard to find. She's a mage so she can't run for very long without getting tired plus she's not all that great at hide-and-seek. Lance could be a problem, though," Matt's frown deepened, "if he doesn't want to be found then we could be searching for a while; he's excellent at hiding."

"His tracks must have been the set that just seemed to vanish when I first started tracking you guys," Anna mused out loud, "I thought the owner of the tracks knew what they were doing. Hopefully we'll find Natalie's trail again soon," She then sighed, "and hopefully we won't have to scour the woods to find Lance."

Silence fell between the two once more as Anna turned her full attention to scanning the ground and foliage around them for any signs of a passerby, Matt juggling a few rocks he had picked off the ground to entertain himself. A few hours passed that way and the sun was at its height. A few red leafed trees began to mingle with the green as they approached Deep Ashwood. Anna was about to suggest they stop to eat soon when an irregularly colored flash of red in a bush caught her eye. She raised her hand to stop Matt as she reached over to pluck it out, revealing it to be a torn piece of fabric. Fingering the scrap of cloth, Anna turned and showed it to Matt.

"Feels like cotton, probably from a sleeve judging by the height it was caught at," Anna told him.

Matt's eyes widened, "This is the exact color of Natalie's dress! She must have come through here!"

Anna grinned, eyes brightening, "Finally, we've got out first clue! I can pick up her trail here and we'll catch up to her in no time!" Her excited expression suddenly faded into slight puzzlement. "I thought you said Natalie wouldn't go very far? We're quite a ways away from the village at this point," She eyed the way the branches of the bush she'd found the scrap of cloth in were broken and the ground around it before continuing, "And it looks like she crossed over the path we're on here which means she's been forcing her way through the overgrowth, and pretty forcefully too, judging by the signs left here. That's really tiring even if you're used to doing it." Anna shook her head causing her green hair to swing back and forth, a look of concern forming on her face, "The only reason I can see there being for her to do that would be if she was being chased by something, but I don't see any evidence of another creature being there. Plus it looks like she was heading into Deep Ashwood. The protection of the guardian of my village doesn't extend for much further in that direction so the monsters are much more aggressive,"

Matt's face also took on a concerned look, "Let's follow her as quickly as possible, then; she might be in trouble. If she runs into monsters alone she'll-"

He broke off with a start, whipping around to stare in the direction Anna had indicated Natalie had gone. Anna had also twisted to face the same direction, her emerald eyes widening in shocked concern. A high scream had echoed through the woods setting any birds nearby into flight.

"That was Natz's voice! She is in trouble, let's go!" Matt cried. Not waiting for an answer, the blond swordsman dashed off the path in the direction the scream had come from.

Anna leaped after him, following closely in his footsteps. Matt forced branches out of his path and let them snap back into place forcing Anna to block them with her arms. One branch whipped the ranger across the cheek, leaving a shallow cut that began to bleed slightly. The green haired girl ignored the sting and did not even notice the slight trickle of blood that beaded up and slid down her cheek. The only compensation she made was to move out from behind Matt to run slightly off to the side, dodging around trunks and small bushes.

* * *

Natalie swiped her sleeve across her face to wipe some of the tears away, gave NoLegs a watery smile and a pat, and stood up, determined to find Lance to inform him of Matt's unfortunate demise.

She hadn't taken more than two steps before the sounds of a large creature breaking its way into the clearing caused the mage girl to spin around. Her narrowed eyes darted about, searching for the monster before widening in fear when they landed on it; lumbering towards her at a slow pace that belied its strength, was a massive bear. Thick, shaggy, brown fur covered its whole body, sharp claws left deep gouges in the earth with every step it took, its lips were pulled back in a snarl and saliva was already dripping from its jaws in anticipation of a tasty meal as it stared her down with a gleaming gaze.

Natalie and NoLegs kept their eyes locked on the animal, taking a step back for every step it took forward. This stalemate lasted until Natalie's attention was diverted for a split second when she backed into the trunk of a sapling. That second of distraction was all the bear needed to charge forward at an astonishing speed for a creature of its size. It reached the terrified mage girl and the cat; both dove to opposite sides to dodge, Natalie with a loud echoing shriek. The huge paw that came sweeping down, narrowly missing them and obliterating the sapling they had backed against. Splinters of wood showered the clearing getting caught in the bear's shaggy fur and Natalie's hair.

NoLegs used the brief second before the bear turned to materialize a sword to float in front of him and proceeded to slash at the animal in order to draw its attention away from the mage. Rolling and coming up on her feet out of immediate range of the bear, Natalie unhooked her Crystal Staff from behind her and launched a fireball spell at the beast while its back was turned. The fireball exploded on the bear's back causing its fur and skin to smolder and the clearing to fill with the noxious smell of burning hair and flesh. Natalie hoped the fire would cause damage to something important or to, at the very least, convince the animal that she and NoLegs were too troublesome to continue its attacks.

Far from being a deciding blow or deterrent for the beast, however, the bear simply grew enraged; the burning pain from its back serving to fuel its wrath. Its eyes seemed to glow red as it turned its attention from the cat, whose attacks only served as a nuisance, to the orange haired mage standing behind it. It crossed the short distance to Natalie in one bound causing the girl to stumble back and trip over an errant rock protruding from the ground. The bear reared up to its full height with a mighty roar, towering over the girl who pulled her staff in front of her in a futile attempt to defend herself from the massive blow, squeezing her eyes shut.

A single thwacking sound cut the bear off mid-roar with a choking sound and it toppled over backwards, landing on the ground with a dull _thud._ Natalie slowly lowered her staff as she cracked one blue eye open both soon flying wide as she stared in uncomprehending shock at the single arrow lodged in the dead beast's throat. Her shock only grew as she heard a familiar voice—one she believed she would never hear again—calling her name repeatedly in a worried tone. She turned in disbelief to stare as Matt ran towards her, skidding to a stop and grabbing her by the shoulders; completely missing the green haired girl who was still back by the tree line, bow in hand.

"Natalie! Natalie, are you okay?!" Matt asked frantically, his worry only growing when the mage didn't move or speak, simply stared. "Natalie, say something, please!"

He was just about to start checking for any head injuries when Natalie finally spoke up in a small voice, her wide blue eyes still staring at him as in complete shock; "…Matt?"

The blond swordsman calmed down slightly when he heard her speak, "Yeah, it's me. You aren't hurt are-"

His words were cut off with a huff as the air rushed out of his lungs when he was tackled by a suddenly hysterical Natalie. He suddenly found his arms full with a sobbing mage, her face pressed into his coat as her shoulders violently shook with each gasping breath. Not sure why she was so upset, Matt awkwardly wrapped his arms around the distraught girl and whispered soothing words into her hair. "Hey, it's okay. Stop crying, you're fine…" Natalie began to calm down and mumbled something unintelligible into his chest. "What was that?" Matt asked.

The mage girl pulled back slightly to look up at him. "You're really here?" she repeated.

Matt tilted his head to the side in confusion, "Well, yeah we were all split up and I heard you scream so of course I came. Why wouldn't I be here?"

Natalie shook her head violently causing her fiery hair to whip back and forth, her breathing getting unsteady again "I th-thought you were d-dead. You were stuck with so many arrows and you weren't moving…" Tears began to roll down her cheeks again as she pictured the horrific scene again.

Matt's eyes widened in realization; she must have seen when Anna had shot him and fled. Expression softening in understanding, he pulled the mage into another hug, reassuring her in a light tone, "Shh, I'm okay. You really think an arrow or twelve would be enough to keep me down? Akron did way worse than that!"

Finally reassured that Matt was indeed alive and well, and realizing just how they had been sitting, Natalie pulled back abruptly with her face burning in a bright blush. "Y-you don't need any healing, do you?" she stammered out in an attempt to cover her embarrassment.

Matt blinked in confusion for a few seconds before giving her his trademark grin. "Nah, I'm fine. Anna healed me perfectly!"

"Anna? Who's that?" Natalie asked in confusion.

"She's the one who shot me!" Matt said in a cheerful tone. Catching the look of worried disbelief in Natalie's eyes, he hurried to explain, "Don't worry, she promised not to do it again! She's actually very nice, you can see for yourself when you talk with her. She needs to ask you—and Lance, if we ever find him—if either of you have picked up a special crystal of some sort."

Still understandably skeptical, Natalie gave a single slow nod and they both stood up, Matt leading the way to introduce her to Anna.

* * *

Anna had stayed back, leaning against a tree and awkwardly looking away from the touching moment happening in the clearing. Turning to keep an eye and ear out for any more monsters, she absentmindedly scratched at the cut on her cheek, scraping away the bit of dried blood. NoLegs bounced across the clearing to stare up at her and let out a small meow to gain her attention. The ranger glanced down at the sound and smiled upon seeing the cat, kneeling down to rub him between the ears.

"I'm glad Matt and I got here in time," she murmured to the cat who was purring from both the attention and in agreement. Unwittingly, her mind flashed back to the moment when she and Matt had entered the clearing to see the mage on the ground, seconds away from being killed. She shivered briefly as she imagined several different endings to that tense moment other than her Piercing Shot killing the bear, before she firmly put such thoughts aside with a soft sigh.

Looking up when she heard two sets of footsteps approaching, Anna stood up and brushed a few loose blades of grass off her brown dress and turned slightly nervously to face Matt and Natalie. NoLegs stayed firmly pressed against her leg in silent support.

Matt was grinning brightly, his eyes sparkling with gratitude. "That shot was awesome! And thank you for saving Natz's life." He then turned slightly sideways to address the mage standing behind him, "Natz, this is Anna; a ranger from Greenwood Village. Anna, this is Natalie; a longtime friend of mine and a two times world-saving mage."

Swallowing nervously under the suspicious glare Natalie was giving her, Anna held out her hand a forced a nervous smile onto her face, "Pleased to meet you, Natalie."

Natalie kept her sharp blue gaze locked onto Anna's uncomfortable green one silently appraising the ranger for a few seconds before seeing the same kind of warmth in her eyes that Matt had. Finally, Natalie grasped the offered hand and gave a small smile of her own.

"Likewise, and thank you for healing our meat-shield; I don't know what Lance and I would do if he had gotten himself killed on one of their… excursions." She quipped, causing Anna to let out a giggle.

"Hey, I resent that! If an evil god of death couldn't kill me, a trip to the store would never even come close! Besides, it wasn't until after Anna had caught up to me that there was any real danger," Matt protested loudly.

The ensuing argument about Matt's morals and the likelihood, or lack thereof, of being killed was cut off by Anna's bright laughter.

"Come on, you two. You can continue your debate while we try to find your other friend," Anna chuckled, green eyes sparkling with mirth.

Natalie snorted and half complained, "That's assuming Lance is even anywhere nearby, still. I wouldn't put it past him to just run off."

"Nah, he wouldn't run off. For all of his anti-social tendencies and complaining, we've grown on him too much for him to just ditch us," Matt said with a smile. NoLegs let out a _mrrow_ of agreement.

"He'll probably come out on his own after a while of walking, anyway," Natalie sighed.

Anna led the way into the trees once more the others following behind, "Well then, can we make a quick stop to see the guardian of Greenwood? Lance might come out along the way and if he doesn't the guardian might be able to help us find him," Anna proposed, twisting her head to look back at her companions who nodded their heads in agreement. Next step decided, they set out for their new destination keeping an eye out for Lance or for monsters.


	5. Chapter Five

The trio of adventurers continued their hike through the trees with Anna in the lead followed by Natalie with Matt bringing up the rear. The leaves surrounding them were predominantly orange and the local fungi grew to massive size at the bases of the trees where the shadows were thick. They stepped out of the tree line and saw a sluggish river of lava stretching out in front of them. Heat waves rising off the molten surface seemed to cause the rocks and trees on the far side to shimmer and dance. Black Birds, the most common bird-monsters, were perched on many of the jagged black rocks jutting out from the lava, their red eyes gleaming as they stared at the group of humans that stood in a row in the open space between the trees and the lava.

Matt pulled Heaven's Gate out and shifted into a battle stance while Anna slung her Sky Feather around and nocked an arrow as she slipped back slightly to stand next to Natalie, who gripped her Crystal Staff in both hands. Their aggressive movements provoked the Black Birds to take flight in a flurry of black feathers with hoarse, croaking caws. Anna immediately let loose her first arrow in a Piercing Shot. The missile sailed through the air and struck the highest Black Bird causing it to let out a loud squawk and plummet into the lava below.

Meanwhile, Matt lunged forward with a Quick Slash as one of the remaining four birds came within range, its gaping beak and sharp talons flashed a dull orange with reflected light from the lava. Bringing his blade down in an overhead slash on the unprepared bird, he sliced the beast's wing causing it to crash to the ground. The wound sizzled from the holy damage his sword was enchanted with and the monster gave a few twitches before lying still, succumbing to the elemental weakness.

A glancing shot from Anna's bow caused a third bird to fall to the ground where it was promptly stabbed by Matt. The remaining two monsters tucked their wings to their bodies and dove towards Natalie who seemed like easy prey as she was standing still with her eyes closed in concentration. The air around the mage crackled with wild energy causing her hair to float out slightly. Natalie's blue eyes snapped open and she pointed her staff at the incoming birds. A yellow runic circle appeared at her staff's tip and a bolt of lightning shot out which disintegrated the nearest bird, startling the second one into veering off. It didn't get far before Matt leapt up and sliced it in half, his feet hitting the ground at the same time as the two halves of the dead monster.

Anna, Matt, and Natalie relaxed and lowered their weapons. Anna went over to the two bodies that had landed relatively intact on the ground and collected a few feathers from them while Matt and Natalie sat down on the ground.

Natalie sighed and leaned back on her hands, "I think I'm out of practice, that spell shouldn't have taken that long to cast."

Matt also leaned back and tilted his head to look at the sky. "Same here, my Quick Slash should have exploded that pigeon like a piñata."

"Serves us right for not bothering to practice much at all since we beat Akron," Natalie muttered.

Matt nudged her shoulder to get her to look at him, "Cheer up, at least we aren't in a rush to beat some crazed god of death bent on destroying the world this time!" He grinned suddenly, "Or even worse: Lance."

Natalie giggled, "Especially if you call his precious Valkyrie Tank a fancy car again."

Anna had finished looting the monsters at this point and stood not far away from them watching with her head tilted to the side slightly in curiosity. "So are you two _just_ friends, or…?" She asked suddenly, trailing off with a grin.

Natalie's blue eyes widened and she blushed a bright red, "D-don't be silly! We're just friends!"

"Of course we're more than just friends!" Matt exclaimed with wide smile.

"Wait, w-what?!" Natalie's face grew even redder as she turned to stare at the swordsman in a mixture of confusion and flustered hope, while Anna blinked in confusion at the mixed messages being given by the two on the ground.

Matt's smile grew even bigger, "We're a team! NoLegs is on the team, as well, and Lance if we find him." The blond swordsman was oblivious to Natalie's suddenly downcast face.

" _That's all I am to you after all this time?_ " The mage girl wondered despondently.

Anna's face fell in disappointment. "Is that all? You two seemed so close right after we saved Natalie from the bear. I thought for sure that-" She was cut off when Natalie suddenly leapt to her feet.

"Well, we can hardly expect the guardian of Greenwood to come meet us here, and Lance isn't popping out with a disgruntled comment so let's move on!" The mage turned to Anna, "So where to now? Follow the lava river, or do we have to cross it somehow?"

Anna blinked in bewilderment at Natalie for the sudden change in subject before deciding to let it drop at the slightly pleading look in the mage's blue eyes. "The guardian is across the lava. We'll have to cross by hopping from rock to rock; I probably don't need to warn you to watch your step. It shouldn't be too hard, since the villagers placed the rocks here to make a path across after the nearby volcano erupted so they're definitely stable. I'll go first." She turned to lava and hopped across easily, each stone only about a foot apart from the next.

Matt stood up and brushed his pants off while Natalie crossed before following the two across the lava. Once they were all gathered on the other side, they stepped into the trees once more. The only problems they ran into for the next half hour were a couple of large wasps which were quickly taken down with a fire ball from Natalie and a well-placed arrow from Anna. They soon reached another clearing that had a small, obviously abandoned treehouse standing in the middle of it. The trio walked up to the sagging door, which Matt pushed open with his shoulder. Swirls of dust drifted in the beams of light from the open door and from a broken window at the back. They stepped inside and began rummaging through the worn furniture for anything worth taking.

"I wonder who lived way out here and what happened to them?" Natalie questioned while she gathered a few loose pieces of gold from the dresser, and put them into a pouch.

A sudden yelp from Anna made both Matt and Natalie spin around to see a Flame Wraith had materialized out of the darkened corner by the bed, and was already beginning to cast a spell on the startled archer. Matt immediately lunged forward in a stab, Heaven's Gate seemingly appearing in his hands to slide into the specter. A glowing white circle of runes appeared above the monster and a blade made of pure light illuminated the hut and fell down to vaporize the Wraith.

Anna's green eyes were wide with shock as she watched the glowing sword disappear, leaving them in relative darkness while their eyes adjusted to the dim interior again. "Where the heck did that sword come from? I didn't think you knew any magic, Matt!"

"My love for swords gives me the power to summon them!" Matt said with a grin.

"Actually, Heaven's Gate is what summoned that one, Matt. It's enchanted to sometimes drop a Holy Sword, remember?" Natalie corrected with a roll of her eyes. "Though, you did used to be able to summon a Holy Sword on your own back when we were dealing with the whole Akron fiasco. I'm not sure if you still can now, since we both seem to have lost our edges from then." She turned to face Anna and explained further, "He can't cast large spells of pure magic like I can, but he can channel magic through his weapon for some offensive strikes. They usually only hit one opponent, though, and they get stronger or weaker depending on how compatible his sword's enchantment is with the skill he's using."

"That's so cool! I'd never thought of applying magic to my arrows, I'll have to try it sometime." Anna said, her green eyes sparkling in anticipation of powerful new attacks.

"You should, they're really useful! I dunno if I can still use any of mine, though. Let me try one." Matt rested his sword on his shoulder, held one hand out in front of him, closed his eyes in concentration, and tried casting Holy Sword. He felt the rush of mana leaving his body and a glowing sword did appear but it was much smaller than the one his Heaven's Gate had dropped and instead of thrusting into the ground, it buried itself in the opposite wall. "Nope, looks like the best I can manage right now is a Light Blade. Bummer," He sighed, stood up, and sheathed his sword again, "It's probably the same with all my other attacks too."

Anna patted his shoulder as they walked back outside, "You just need some more practice. Besides, Light Blade will come in handy if we run into any more Wraiths. Anyway, we've almost reached where the guardian lives."

Natalie sighed, "Still no sign of Lance, though."

"Speaking of no signs of being there, where's NoLegs? I haven't seen him since we joined up with Natalie." Anna asked while looking around the clearing surrounding the tree house for the small cat.

Matt threw her a reassuring grin and gave a shrug, "Eh, he's probably nearby still. He doesn't always hang out immediately around us, but we can summon him whenever so I wouldn't worry too much. He's excellent at staying silent and out of sight and he's great with that sword and shield of his, so I doubt any monsters will get him; they haven't so far, anyway." Reassured, the archer girl turned back to the path leading to the guardian.

They continued their trek towards the guardian, the occasional lava pools and jagged black rocks giving way to trees, the leaves once again mostly green. Anna stopped and pointed at a nearby wooden arch with paper talismans hanging from it, worn stone stairs led up the hill just past the arch. "That's where the guardian lives. We'll need to prove ourselves in combat and then he'll help us," she said.

They walked under the arch and up the stairs, where Matt and Natalie froze in shock at the sight of an enormous wood construct. He towered over them at least twice as tall as Matt and five times as wide. The behemoth had massive logs with reinforced metal tips for arms and legs and crudely carved eyes set right above a metal jaw.

" _That's_ the 'guardian of Greenwood'?! It's huge!" Matt exclaimed.

Anna nodded, "Yup, that's him! His name's Mighty Oak and we'll have to beat him if we want his help. He thrashed me last time I tried but, with you guys helping, I think we'll be fine."

Natalie and Matt exchanged glances of resignation and braced themselves for the upcoming battle.

"Well, he's made of wood so I guess I'll be using fire or ice magic. Matt, use your Eruption or Iceberg attacks if you can." Natalie said and then shrugged, "If they don't work, then just whale on him like normal." She sighed, "Too bad Lance isn't here, we could use his tactical skills right about now, not to mention the extra firepower."

The blond swordsman nodded, blue eyes gleaming with excitement for the imminent battle. "Got it, now let's make a wood pile out of Ol' Stumpy here!"

The group spread out slightly and readied their weapons. Mighty Oak, recognizing that they were here to challenge him, jumped up and slammed back down, causing the ground to tremble and a small crater to form from the impact, as well as summoning forth three Wood Idols to aid him in battle.

Anna immediately fired off three arrows in rapid succession taking down all three in the span of seconds. The massive guardian seemed to exude an aura of displeasure at the immediate annihilation of his servants, and turned to face the young archer responsible for their destruction. He raised one of his massive arms to bring down on the ranger. Anna threw herself to one side, rolling out of the way of the giant appendage that slammed into the ground where she had been standing seconds before. She drew back another arrow and let it fly into the arm where it stayed stuck, quivering from the impact.

While Mighty Oak was distracted by Anna, Matt thrust his sword into the ground, channeling his mana in hopes of pulling off one of his magical attacks. A small fissure that glowed with a flickering orange appeared beneath the guardian and exploded upward in a burst of fire. Though heartened by the fact that his attack had worked, Matt noticed that it didn't seem to do anything to slow the hulking monstrosity down. Like all magical constructs, Mighty Oak did not feel pain and the only real way to stop it would be to do enough damage to sever the magic causing it to move or disassemble the thing entirely.

" _This is going to be a long, tough fight,_ " Matt thought, diving to the side as Mighty Oak fired its right arm at him before drawing it back to its side via a thick chain.

Natalie was thinking the same thing as she launched several fireballs at Mighty Oak's face. A few sizzled uselessly on the behemoth's plated jaw, but the rest found their mark on the flammable wood causing the guardian's face to smolder. The flames licking at its carved eyes gave the monstrosity a demonic look as it turned its attention on the caster. It launched its arm again, unfortunately getting a glancing hit on the mage girl's shoulder as she was just slightly too slow to get out of the way completely. The resulting force caused her to stagger back and gasp in pain.

Matt and Anna leapt forward to distract the guardian before it could follow up on its advantage. Anna launched a Combo Shot into the guardian's left eye, the three arrows striking in rapid succession barely an inch apart from each other, the force of the arrows caused the construct to stagger back slightly. Matt leapt onto the retracting arm and rode it on its return to Mighty Oak, proceeding to hack away at the arm in an attempt to sever the limb. Unfortunately, the guardian was prepared for something like that and flung its arm up at an alarming speed causing the swordsman to go flying through the air to land with a rustling thump and a pained groan in some nearby bushes.

Mighty Oak began to lumber towards the fallen blond, halting when virulent green tendrils wrapped their way around its legs, thorns digging in and applying a magical poison to the construct causing it to slow down even further. Anna knelt on the ground not far away channeling her magic into the Vines attack, distracting the guardian from the winded Matt, while an ethereal glow surrounded his prone form from Natalie's Heal spell. He sat up with a low groan a moment later and staggered to his feet to rejoin the battle. The fight continued on for quite some time with the three challengers peppering the wooden giant whenever they could and dodging his returning blows to the best of their abilities and destroying his Idols whenever they were re summoned.

Despite the challengers' best efforts and some impressive hits, it was clear that they were not going to be able to keep it up. Natalie was breathing quite heavily from casting white magic; her Heal spell getting steadily less and less effective as she expended more and more mana. She had taken to standing back and focusing her full efforts into healing the other two which had the added bonus of not being seen as much of a threat by Mighty Oak so she was therefore mostly ignored. Anna and Matt both were bleeding from several small cuts and scrapes as Natalie had taken to conserving mana by only healing the most serious wounds. Matt was slightly unsteady on his feet after recently being thrown headfirst into a tree, and Anna was limping slightly from when an Idol had landed on her foot. Anna panted as she drew back another arrow to take down a lone Idol that was getting too close to Natalie while Matt shook his head to clear the dizziness and lunged in for another stab at Mighty Oak and then dodged back to avoid getting stepped on before his hit could connect.

Suddenly, a single loud crack rang through the trees and Mighty Oak staggered to the left, a single small hole having appeared just above his right shoulder. Anna's green eyes widened in shock and confusion while Matt's face split in a relieved grin and Natalie lowered her staff slightly in relief and looked around to try and spot the figure she knew must be there. Another shot rang out and this time Mighty Oak's entire right arm fell off unable to withstand the force of the hit. There was a rustling sound and a figure dressed in green camo with large black rifle strapped to his back dropped out of a nearby tree to land crouched on the ground near Natalie, a gunblade in one hand and a portable radio in the other. The new arrival had dark red hair that just stuck out from under his helmet and crimson eyes that were narrowed in a cold glare on Mighty Oak. A few seconds after his arrival, parachutes dropped in carrying small boxes to each of the weary combatants. Matt gave Anna reassuring thumbs-up, opened the box, and popped a few of the energy tablets inside into his mouth. Anna followed suit after seeing Natalie do the same. They immediately felt their strength returning and the slightly itchy sensation of rapidly healing cuts as the energy tablets did their job.

The red head stepped up next to Matt, and they gave each other a nod before turning to face down the crippled Mighty Oak. On some unspoken signal, the two leaped forward and thrust their blades into the wooden giant, their combined strength and weight causing it to tip dangerously backwards. It swayed there awkwardly before an arrow and a fire ball flew through the air to impact Mighty Oak's face forcing the construct to fall completely backwards where it collapsed on the ground with a massive crash. The group of four relaxed their battle stances with Matt, Natalie, and Anna letting out huge sighs of relief.

After a brief moment of silence, the red head turned on Matt with a scornful look on his face. "I can't believe you, Matt. You almost got yourself, Natz, and that green haired girl killed. That thing was pathetic, why didn't you just go for the joints in the first place? Also, isn't that girl a ranger from Greenwood Village? Did you forget that we _just_ looted their store this morning? What if she attacks us? You're hopeless." His rapid-fire questions were said in a half seriously annoyed tone to cover the genuine concern he'd felt when he had found them nearly beaten by a massive walking stump.

"Glad to see you too, man." Matt replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes towards Natalie and Anna. "We'd been fighting that thing for the better part of an hour, so of course it was weak by the time you showed up, why would I think to go for the joints, I didn't forget that we looted Greenwood's store, and you already missed Anna attacking me."

Natalie returned the eye roll and faced Anna, "This disgruntled red head is Lance. He's a great shot with a gun, pretty good with black magic, a passable swordsman, our tactician and technology specialist, as well as a complete moral degenerate."

Anna nodded and turned to stare at Lance in curiosity. Her emerald eyes looked him up and down taking in his military-style outfit and the easy way he held his weaponry before settling on his face. She suppressed a shiver at his impassable features, refusing to show any discomfort, before gathering herself to ask about the Greenwood Jewel.

Lance returned her look with a frigid glare obviously distrusting of the archer girl whom Matt had confirmed had already been attacked by her. His red eyes coldly sized her up as well. Looking over her brown dress and sweeping over her bow he idly noted that despite having seen the number of arrows stuck in the creature they'd been fighting her quiver still remained full and wondered briefly if the quiver was enchanted. Her green eyes met his red ones steadily and while he could see that she was nervous, he could also tell she was determined not to be cowed by him. He internally admitted that the fact that she didn't look away or shift at all was impressive.

He finally broke the tense silence, "Okay, girlie, what do you want with me?"

Anna immediately bristled, her green eyes flaring in anger at being called 'girlie', and her slight nervousness vanished to be replaced by an immense irritation. "First, I want you to not call me 'girlie', my name is Anna. Second, I want an apology for looting my town. And third I want to know if one of the things you took was a large green Jewel that looks like a leaf."

Matt and Natalie, who were standing off to the side blinked, slightly surprised by Anna's sudden anger. She had been very nice over the brief journey they'd had together, not losing her temper at all, certainly not in such an obvious way.

Lance crossed his arms and said, "I'll call you what I want to call you, I'm not going to apologize for your town's inability to guard their stuff, and no I did not take any jewels of any kind; that's Matt's gig."

Anna glowered at him before closing her eyes and taking a deep to calm down. After a few seconds—when she had her temper relatively under control—she reopened her eyes an acknowledged that his claiming not to have the Greenwood Jewel fit in with Matt's and Natalie's explanation that Lance wouldn't have the Jewel. She turned away from the gunner with a huff, ignored the perplexed looks Matt and Natalie gave her, and walked over to kneel beside the fallen Mighty Oak and offered a brief prayer which resulted in a bright flash of green light that engulfed Mighty Oak before being absorbed into Anna.

The other three stared in shock at the spectacle before breaking out of it to watch Anna stand up and begin to walk without another word to them down a trail that led to the mountainous area just past the Ashwood forest.

"Where are you going, Anna?" Natalie called causing the girl to stop briefly.

Without turning around, she responded in a low tone, "I'm heading for the Crystal Caverns so I can go to Whitefall Town, I need to check something there before I can go back to Greenwood. I know now that you guys didn't take the Greenwood Jewel so you can go. Just don't let me hear about you stealing from my village again." She started walking again only to stop when Matt called out.

"Aren't the Crystal Caverns full of monsters? Are you going to be okay going through them alone?" he asked.

Before she could reply Lance heaved a sigh and spoke in an irritable tone, "I know where he's heading with this. Do you want us to escort you through the Caverns? It's not like we have anything better to do, right now and you'll just get hurt or killed on your own. I don't know what the big deal is with this rock you're so bent on finding, nor do I particularly care, but the caves are full of precious minerals so we can make a profit out of this if we come with you."

"Aww, I knew you had a heart in there somewhere!" Natalie teased earning her a glare and a slight blush from the gunner.

Anna finally turned around to look back at them with an expressionless face. Matt was giving her a bright grin and a thumbs-up, Natalie nodded with a smile, and Lance refused to look at her but gave a shrug all the same. Her impassive look melted into a sincere, slightly teasing smile. "Sure, this can be you guys' community service to repay for looting my village." Her smile widened slightly, "Seriously, thank you, guys, I don't know if I would make it on my own."

"I know you wouldn't," Lance scoffed causing Anna's smile to turn into a glare.

Natalie smacked his arm, "Be nice," she turned to the ranger with a smile, "It'll be nice traveling with another girl."

"Welcome to the team, Anna!" Matt said causing Anna to smile again.

The party of four then set off down the path away from Mighty Oak's clearing towards the Crystal Caverns with Anna once again in the lead for the next part of their journey.


	6. Chapter Six

The four adventurers walked in pairs down the dirt trail leading to the Crystal Caverns. Anna and Natalie were up front chatting amiably with each other about various things ranging from hobbies and favorites to battle techniques and their different healing magics; Natalie was curious as to how Anna's differed. Matt and Lance were trailing behind them in silence. Matt glanced over at his brooding friend—who was attempting to burn a hole in the back of Anna's head with his suspicious glare—and wondered if perhaps he should ask what about the ranger was bothering him so much.

The swordsman had just opened his mouth to speak but Lance beat him to it, "Are you sure we can trust this archer-girl not to get us into serious trouble or attack us? I mean, you said she'd already attacked you once; did she go for Natz too? Also, how's she do in battle? This isn't going to be some baby-sitting trip, is it?"

Matt shrugged, "Eh, I doubt anything she can do will be worse than Akron and while she did beat me back near Greenwood, she didn't leave me to die from her attack. She never attacked Natz, but rather, helped me find her and then saved her and NoLegs from being mauled by a bear."

"You were defeated by some girl from a random village in the middle of nowhere? Pathetic," Lance scoffed before realizing the implications of that. "Wait, she _beat_ you? Is she that good, or do you just suck?"

"Hey, it was a surprise attack; I didn't even know she was there until she'd almost pinned me to a tree!" Matt exclaimed defensively. He shook his head before continuing, "As for skills, from what I've seen she's an incredibly fast and dead-shot with that bow, great in woodcraft, has some healing magic, and basic offensive nature magic. Apparently, her life back in Greenwood is solo hunting trips in the forest as well as dealing with the occasional thief, or thieves in our case, so she's no stranger to combat. She never had any hesitation in any of the battles we fought while trying to find Natalie and you. I wouldn't worry about needing to watch over her very closely; at least, not any more closely than Natz and I."

Lance's eyes narrowed in thought. "Okay, so she's skilled and experienced; at least somewhat, anyway. How about her personality? She seemed pretty irritable when I spoke with her."

The swordsman rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "You insulted her and her village—which we had just stolen a lot of stuff from—and you expect her to be _nice_ about it? Of course she was irritable. How would you feel if I busted into _your_ home, messed with _your_ stuff, and then threw some insults around?"

Lance snorted and quirked one eyebrow, "Correct me if I'm wrong but, you and Natalie _did_ break into my home, destroyed my stuff, and then called my awesome Valkyrie Tank a 'fancy car'. I think you can remember what my reaction was." He then sighed and conceded, "I see your point, but I still don't trust her."

Matt laughed awkwardly, "Well, in all fairness, you _were_ trying to dominate the known world with a death-bot army. Anyway, Anna is nice, cheerful, and usually friendly. I'm positive she's not trying to lure us into some horrible trap designed to kill us all."

The two glanced ahead at an excited shout from in front of them. Anna and Natalie stood before a giant, questionably-shaped red and white spotted mushroom towering next to the trail. The gunner and swordsman walked the last few paces and stood behind them. They all stared up at the mushroom with different expressions.

Anna's face was lit up with an innocent smile, "Wow! What huge mushroom! This thing could feed a whole family for a week!"

Natalie's nose was scrunched up in skeptical distaste, "I suppose so, but I can't help but think it's a bit... inappropriate looking."

Matt looked slightly perturbed, "I'm starting to feel inadequate, for some reason…"

Finally, Lance had a perverted smirk on his face, "Hey, it's almost as big as my member!"

Natalie smacked both him and Matt upside their heads for the lewd remarks, "For the love of all that is holy, Lance and Matt, keep those kinds of comments to your selves!" The mage fumed with a glare as the two men rubbed their sore heads.

Anna's face had been puzzled at first but, with another glance at the mushroom, her eyes widened in embarrassed horror and she flushed a bright red having realized what the other three meant. "I'm going pretend I didn't hear any of that and attempt to continue leading a phallic-fungi free life!" Ignoring the remnants of her blush—as well as the looks of amusement the guys were giving—her she turned back to them, "We're almost to the Crystal Caverns; if we hurry we might get to the entrance before dark!" She then proceeded to speed-walk down the path, pointedly avoiding looking at the mushroom, and rounded a bend.

"I see what you mean about not having to worry about her betraying us, Matt." Lance said, crimson eyes still glinting in amusement, "If she's that innocent in how she thinks about things, then I doubt 'betrayal' is even in her vocabulary." Matt simply rolled his eyes with a grin in response.

Natalie huffed in annoyance, "Just because she isn't socially and morally challenged like you two, doesn't mean you can insult her intelligence, Lance." Turning to follow after the flustered archer, she tossed a final, "You both should apologize to her at camp tonight" demand over her shoulder before hurrying to catch up to Anna. The two just looked at each other and sighed before following the two girls through the trees at a leisurely pace.

The sounds of a skirmish breaking out from behind the rock Anna and Natalie had passed around caused both of the fighters to break into a run, however. They rounded the bend and caught sight of the two girls squaring off against an Earth Golem. Two piles of leaves with arrows stuck in them showed that a pair of Green bushes had already been taken out by Anna; the few arrows sticking straight down into the golem's shoulders and head told Matt that she had used the Arrow Rain skill that had taken him down to do the job.

Lance and Matt skidded to a stop in front of the two girls right as Natalie unleashed a blast of Ice that coated the surrounding grass in a thin layer of frost and caused the golem to stagger back slightly. Lance took the opportunity to level his gunblade at the monster and fired a round into its left leg weakening it for Matt to slice off.

The golem crumbled into a pile of dirt with a low groan, bits of the magic that had sustained it sparking off for a little while before finally stopping. The adventurers exchanged a few high fives before digging through the dirt and leaf piles for spoils. A few bits of gold and a small emerald were pocketed before they continued on their way.

* * *

The sun was just setting when the four arrived at the mouth of the Crystal Caverns. Long shadows were cast from the trees onto the ground which looked to be stained red from the sunset. The evening calls of Black Birds echoed around the clearing and from the cave entrance and crickets were already striking up the evening chorus. The four gave a collective sigh of relief at having made it and just stood there gazing at the dark, yawning opening set into the cliff face. The cave had a few stalactites hanging just inside the mouth which gave the appearance of fangs. It was too dark to see much further inside but they could tell the ground began to slope quickly. The wind blowing out of the cave was frigid, causing the adventurers to shiver slightly. A small brook ran across the far corner of the clearing to disappear into a small hole next to the cave entrance.

Natalie gave herself a shake and turned to the others with a smile, "Well, we made it with enough light to set up camp. Matt and Lance, you guys can go find us some firewood while Anna and I set up the fire pit."

Matt groaned, tossed his pack on the ground, and led the way back into the trees to find some dry branches with Lance following silently behind him. Natalie walked over to a spot near the cliff away from the chilling breeze coming from the cave and knelt to begin pulling up grass. Anna shuffled around the clearing and brought over enough decently sized rocks to ring the pit and help Natalie align them. They then leaned against the cliff in silence for a while, waiting for the guys to get back with the firewood.

A low grumbling sound broke the quiet, causing Anna to flush in embarrassment and chuckled sheepishly, "That was my stomach. I was in such a rush to catch you guys that I forgot to stop at the café to grab breakfast before leaving. I'm starving!"

Natalie's stomach also let out a groan, echoing the sentiment, and the two girls stared at each other before bursting out in laughter. "And with everything that's happened today, we all forgot about lunch. I don't suppose you have any food on you, do you?" Natalie asked hopefully. Anna shook her head and Natalie sighed in disappointment, "It's too dark to forage for fruit or something. I guess we'll have to wait until morning to find some food; unless Matt or Lance has some on them, which I doubt."

"Have what?" Matt's asked as he and Lance came out of the trees with arms full of branches.

They set them down near enough to the fire pit to be convenient but far enough away to avoid catching from loose sparks. Lance knelt to start arranging some of the smaller branches and a handful of kindling in the circle before lighting it with a small burst of flame from his palm. The fire caught quickly and Lance fed it a few larger branches before sitting across the fire from the girls. Matt flopped onto his side next to him.

"Food; we just realized none of us have eaten since this morning and it's too dark to go find some now." Natalie sighed, her blue eyes glittering with reflected light from the leaping flames. Matt shook his head despondently.

Anna opened her mouth, "I could-"

She cut off as Lance started talking. "It's too late to radio in for some ration bars too. The drones wouldn't be able to find us in these woods in the dark, and even if they could, they'd probably just smash into this cliff here instead." He suddenly smirked and glanced over at Anna, who was just about to try saying something again, "We could always go for that mushroom. It's large enough to feed a whole family for a week, after all." Matt smothered a laugh and twisted away from the small rock Natalie threw at him.

The green-haired girl spluttered in embarrassment at the reminder before her eyes flashed in fury. She stood up suddenly, grabbed her bow from where it rested against the cliff, and walked around the fire, making sure to stomp on Lance's fingers as she passed him. Lance let out a yelp and rubbed his now sore hand, glaring at the archer's back and muttering under his breath about crazy, violent, green haired demons.

"I don't think wandering around the forest at night is a good idea, Anna." Matt cautioned, sitting up to eye her as she made her way to the tree-line. Natalie made a small noise of agreement.

Anna paused and looked over her shoulder, her face was in shadows, but her anger was still visible in her tense shoulders as she replied, "I've been in these woods countless times during both the day and the night. I know what I and what the monsters in this area are capable of and I promise to be careful. I'm just going to bag us a Tanuki Dog or something to roast. I'll be right back so don't follow me; I don't need the extra noise scaring off the game." She then vanished into the shadows of the forest. Matt and Natalie exchanged a worried glance across the fire before Matt reluctantly leaned back again.

"Ten gold pieces says she won't be able to find anything or she'll scream and we'll have to go running to save her. I think she dislocated a couple of fingers," Lance grumbled getting up to stick his hand in the cool water of the stream.

Natalie rolled her eyes, "Serves you right for making fun of her again." She turned to Matt, "I say give her a half hour or so and if she isn't back by then we should go find her."

Matt nodded, flopping onto his back with his hands crossed behind his head to look up at the stars. "Sure, but now that I think about it, she'll probably be back before then. Her job is to hunt animals and I saw her tracking first hand." He then started to fantasize about dinner, " _I wonder what she'll bring? I've never eaten Tanuki Dog before…_ "

Lance and Natalie exchanged a glance upon seeing the slight drool on the swordsman's mouth and guessing what was causing it. Lance shrugged before pulling out a pocket knife and grabbed a few sticks that he then shaved and split to serve as a spit for the meat, wincing a few times when he flexed his fingers wrong.

" _Assuming she finds any at all,_ " The gunman thought, still skeptical.

* * *

Out in the woods, Anna was seething, albeit silently.

" _What a jerk. I can't believe Natalie and Matt put up with him on a daily basis. I hope his hand hurts, it would serve him right,_ " She fumed.

When, after a few minutes of internally cursing Lance and his knack for getting her worked up, she still hadn't calmed down, Anna slumped against a tree and decided she needed to deal with her anger if she wanted to get any hunting done. No way was she going to be able find any tracks as distracted as she was now, much less catching any prey she _did_ find. Looking around the dimly lit forest, the ranger spotted a low branch, grabbed onto it, and hauled herself into the tree. She scurried up it swiftly and confidently and settled herself about halfway up the tree in a fork in the trunk. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and let it out slowly, listening to the faint rustling of leaves in a stray breeze and the chirping of crickets. Repeating this a few times, Anna considered her irritation with Lance with a much clearer head. " _Well, while his and Matt's remarks were crude earlier, I have to admit the situation_ was _pretty funny; if also embarrassing. The second time… I think I over reacted. Though being insulted is getting irritating that was no reason to step on his hand._ " Anna mused. She sighed softly, " _I suppose I should apologize for that when I get back."_

Finally feeling calm enough to hunt, Anna opened her eyes. Luck was on her side, apparently, as the first thing she spotted was a fairly large Tanuki Dog foraging for nuts at the base of the tree next to the one she was perched in. Anna carefully and quietly stood up balancing in the fork, nocked an arrow, and shot it. The missile found its mark in the Tanuki's neck, killing it instantly.

The successful hunter then made her way down to her kill and promptly skinned and gutted the creature before stringing it on a game line she kept in one of the many pouches at her waist. She then turned in the direction of the camp, steeled her resolve not to shoot Lance on sight, no matter how irritated he made her, and made her way back to the others, dinner securely in hand.

* * *

Fifteen minutes had passed when Anna silently walked back into the clearing, an already skinned and cleaned Tanuki dangling from a game line in her hand. She appeared to have calmed down and was smiling slightly. The other three looked up upon her entrance. Matt's eyes brightened at the sight of soon-to-be-dinner, Natalie gave the Ranger a relieved smile, while Lance just blinked in disbelief. Anna cut the meat into smaller portions which she then skewered and set on the two forked branches that had been set up in her absence. She sat down at one end of the makeshift spit to turn the meat over the fire so it would cook evenly.

The clearing was soon filled with the delicious aroma of cooking meat. Bits of juice and fat fell off to sizzle on the fire. Matt had gone slightly catatonic at the wonderful smells and even Lance's and Natalie's mouths were watering in expectation. Finally, Anna announced that it was done and carefully pulled the meat off the branch and handed a couple of skewers to Matt and Natalie first. They both began to eat with relish. Matt gave her a mumbled sound around a mouthful of food that vaguely sounded like _thanks_ while Natalie gave her a big smile.

The ranger then turned to face Lance with an unreadable look on her face. Lance was convinced she was about to tell him he could find his own food—which he admitted he probably deserved—when her eyes fell upon his swollen hand, two fingers wrapped in gauze. The impassable look melted into slight guilt and Anna sighed as gave him his portion of dinner. He took it in his good hand with a nod of thanks, slightly surprised she was giving him any at all.

Matt and Natalie watched the scene with some interest. Both had been sure that Anna was going to withhold the food from Lance.

Before Anna sat to eat her own, though, she faced the gunner and said in a subdued voice, "I'm not sorry for getting mad at you, but I am sorry for purposely stomping on your fingers. I should have controlled my temper better, even if you deserved it."

Lance stared at her for a few seconds before he glanced downward in embarrassment. "Eh, you were justified. It'll heal in a couple of days, anyway. Thanks for catching and cooking dinner for us." He looked back up and covered his embarrassment with a snarky comment, "Although, it was probably just dumb luck that got you the catch."

Natalie and Matt both slapped their foreheads at the typical Lance behavior and sighed.

Anna's eyes flashed in irritation before she closed them and turned with a huff to sit next to Natalie. "You can catch your own dinner next time, jerk. Wouldn't want to rely on 'dumb luck' all the time, would we?" she muttered and proceeded to ignore him while she ate her share of the meal.

Silence filled the clearing while they finished their food. Matt was the first to finish and tossed his skewer into the fire before he stood up and stretched with a yawn. He opened his pack and pulled out a blanket which he then spread on the grass. "I'm going to sleep now. See you all in the morning." Using his pack as a pillow, he promptly fell asleep in the span of seconds.

Natalie sighed, "And again, he forgets the need to set up a watch." She shook her head in affectionate exasperation.

Lance shrugged and said, "I'm still impressed he can fall asleep that fast. I'll take first watch; I'll wake Matt to take over in a few hours."

Natalie nodded her assent and tossed a few larger sticks on the fire to keep it going for a while before she pulled her own blanket out. Laying on one half and pulling the other on top of her, she curled up on her side facing the fire with her back to the cliff.

"Actually, I can set up some wards to keep the beasts away. No need for any of us to lose sleep; especially if it makes _you_ any grouchier." Anna offered with a pointed look at Lance, speaking up for the first time since dinner.

Lance quirked an eyebrow but Natalie cut him off before he could make another scathing remark, "Lance, shut up."

"I didn't even say anything!" He protested.

The mage snorted, "No, but I know you were going to. That would be great, Anna, thank you. None of us have any idea how to set up anything that would deter monsters; do you think you could teach me sometime?"

Anna smiled, "Sure, it isn't very hard. I'll show you tomorrow. Goodnight, guys." She then went about setting some simple wards around their campsite before curling up under her own blanket.

Soon, both girls were asleep leaving Lance the only one awake. He watched the three sleeping around the fire for a little while debating whether he should keep watch after all. Thinking on it, he decided that even if he didn't quite trust Anna, he would trust Matt's judgement on her skills and lay down on his own blanket. He stared into flickering flames of the camp fire and listened to the breathing of the other three for some time before finally drifting off.


	7. Chapter Seven

The pre-dawn sky was a soft grey and mist filled the clearing when Anna woke the next morning. She sat up with a quiet yawn, her blanket falling down to rest on her lap. The archer stretched her arms over her head, and looked around the campsite blinking tiredly at her still sleeping companions. Natalie was still curled up in a ball under her blanket with her mouth slightly open and a few strands of her fiery hair falling across her face. Matt was on his stomach and had flipped himself completely around, his feet resting on the pack his head had been on the night before while his head was pillowed in his crossed arms and his blanket lay crookedly across his prone form. Lance slept on his side facing the dead campfire, his gunblade laid within easy reach next to him and he had a peaceful expression on his face.

Stifling another yawn, Anna stood up letting her blanket fall to the ground in a heap. She made her way to the nearby stream quietly and knelt down to splash some cold water on her face before filling her canteen and taking a small drink. Standing up straight, she made her way back to where the others were still sleeping and pulled a small comb out of her pack which she tugged through her hair. Stuffing the comb back away and tying her hair up again, she snagged her bow from where it lay near her blanket. Anna then turned and slipped silently away into the trees to find something for breakfast.

Stepping lightly to avoid making noise, Anna made her way through the peaceful forest searching for fresh tracks or edible plants. The ranger hadn't gone very far when she spotted a tree heavily laden with fruit. "Jackpot," Anna murmured with a grin. She paused next to the tree and took a quick look around for any nearby monsters. Spotting nothing, she slipped her Sky Feather over her shoulder and pulled herself into the tree and plucked several plump fruits which were then tucked into a small cloth sack. Anna jumped down landing with a small thump and headed back to the campsite.

The sky was beginning to turn a pale pink and a few songbirds were just beginning to chirp when Anna returned. The first thing she noted, slightly to her dismay, was that Lance was up folding his blanket while the other two were still sleeping. Letting out a silent breath, Anna made her way over to the gunner, purposely stepping on a twig to let him know she was there.

The small cracking sound still caused Lance to spin around with a glare, his gunblade half raised, before he spotted her and lowered it again. He gave her a mildly annoyed look before turning back to stuff the folded blanket back into his pack. Anna rolled her eyes and set the bag of fruit down near him before she turned to her own blanket. She stared in surprise at seeing it already neatly folded and sitting on top of her own pack before shifting her surprised stare to Lance who was sitting on a rock, pointedly avoiding her gaze, munching on one of the fruits. Anna shook herself and stuffed the blanket away before she grabbed a fruit of her own. She plopped down near the gunner and gave him a small smile of thanks before biting into her breakfast.

A few minutes passed with the only sounds being the birds and their chewing before Anna spoke up, keeping her voice low to avoid waking the other two, "When should we wake them?"

Lance swallowed his last mouthful of fruit and threw the core into some nearby bushes before leaning back on his hands and answering just as softly, "Natalie will probably wake up on her own in a little while, but Matt will need some encouragement. Generally, we throw something at him since his first response is to swing a sword at whatever woke him. Shouting works too, but I don't think that's a good idea in the wild."

Anna laughed quietly, "Well, while a blackbird on his face would be an effective wake-up call, I agree that throwing something at him is probably the better solution." Lance let out an amused, breathy snort before they were distracted by Natalie shifting.

The mage sat up with a yawn, her red hair was sticking up where it had been pressed against her own pack and she was looking around blearily. Seeing that Lance and Anna were no longer lying down, she twisted around to spot them sitting next to each other watching her. She gave them a sleepy smile and mumbled "'morning," before yawning again. She stood up and stretched before stumbling over to the stream to splash her face, the cold water finished the job of waking her up. She walked back to her blanket, swiftly folded it, brushed her hair, and then stuffed her brush and blanket away. When she turned to the two sitting on the rocks, Anna motioned with her half-eaten fruit at the sack lying nearby to indicate breakfast. Natalie then joined them with her own piece and the three sat in silence.

Anna finished her fruit and tossed the core to join Lance's in the bush. She then leaned back and tilted her head to stare at the sky, unknowingly copying Lance's posture. Natalie watched the two and finished her own food before speaking up.

"I'm surprised to see you two not griping at each other," Natalie mused with a small smile. The two shrugged in unison, causing the mage's smile to grow a bit wider.

"It's going to be a fairly long journey to Whitefall Town and the Crystal Caverns can be dangerous. Keeping grudges would be stupid, we might as well get along," Anna said.

"Speak for yourself, I'm still going to get you back for that stomp last night," Lance muttered, causing Anna to roll her eyes and elbow him lightly in the side.

Natalie laughed as Lance sat up straight with a scowl at Anna before she stood up and dusted her red dress off. "Time to get our resident meat-shield up, I suppose. Should I do it, or do you want to, Lance?"

Lance picked up a small rock with a smirk, "I've got this." He then flung the rock so that it hit Matt right in the middle of the back of his head.

The blond swordsman shot up into a standing position and was swinging his Heaven's Gate around wildly before realizing what had happened. He shot a sour look at the three standing nearby with varying looks of amusement on their faces before he sheathed his sword and proceeded to get ready for the day. Ten minutes later, Matt had packed up and eaten his breakfast.

"So, about how long will it take us to get through the caves?" Natalie asked.

Anna looked up from where she was retying her boots, "Less than a day, if we don't get lost. We'll need to use magic to light the way, at least until we reach the crystals further in. Well, that or make torches."

Lance squinted into the dark cave entrance, "Isn't there supposed to be some magical light-source or something in here somewhere? It hadn't been found, last I heard."

Anna shrugged, "Supposedly, but wherever it is—if it exists at all—it isn't on the way to Whitefall Town; at least, not that anyone going through has seen."

"There's a magical treasure in there that hasn't been found yet?! We've gotta nab it!" Matt exclaimed, his blue eyes gleaming at the prospect of loot.

Natalie sighed, "I don't want to spend all week in a dark cave where bats could swoop down at any time looking for a magic item that may or may not be there."

"But Natz: _treasure_. How can you not want to find treasure?" Matt whined with a pout. Natalie ignored him in favor of tying her hair back with her red ribbon.

Lance pulled out his walkie-talkie, "Well, just in case we get lost or something I'm going to radio in for some ration bars to take with us." He spoke his command into the hand-held radio and several minutes later a few parachutes drifted down. He pulled open the small bags and distributed the bars to the group before standing up again.

"You're just going to leave those things sitting there for some poor animal to choke on?" Anna asked, puffing up to give a speech on the effects of littering.

Lance glance down at the parachutes, "They're bio-degradable and the strings break very easily, but if it bugs your tree-huggyness that much, Nature Girl, I'll call a few 'bots to pick them up."

Anna glared at him, green eyes flashing once again, "You can leave them, and would you please start using my _name_ ," she hissed before shouldering past him to wait just inside the cave.

"Why do you insist on making her mad, Lance?" Natalie sighed.

The gunner shrugged, "It's fun, I guess. You guys don't get worked up at me so much anymore, and even when you guys do get upset it's always way tamer than her responses have been. I've kind of missed it."

Matt snorted while Natalie rolled her eyes and muttered something about masochists. The three then made their way to join Anna who had calmed down slightly, though her eyes still held some annoyance. The group then started down the smooth stone slope into the Crystal Caverns. They trekked in silence for a while; the only sound being their echoed footsteps bouncing off the walls. Holes in the cave ceiling that led to the outside kept the lighting decent so there was no need for magic, yet.

Suddenly, a group of three Rock Sprites sprang up from where they had been camouflaged as a cluster of fallen stones, and attacked the surprised party. Anna immediately snapped off an arrow but the added wind damage her Sky Feather provided was ineffective against the monsters and the arrow merely splintered upon impact with the stony creature's head. The archer cursed and stepped back to attempt some spells instead. Meanwhile, Matt unleashed a Quick Slash on the Rock Sprite nearest to him and sliced off the monster's arm. The swordsman took advantage of the creature's surprise to hack at it a few more times until it collapsed on the ground. Lance leveled his Gunblade at the Rock Sprite in the back, but before he could fire the creature seemed to meld into the cave floor. The gunner was sent flying backwards when the creature reappeared, bursting out of the floor beneath his feet. A burst of frigid magic from Natalie froze the Sprite that had hit Lance. Ice expanded in the cracks of the monster and the creature burst into several chunks of rock.

Anna cast Ivy on the Sprite she had fired at. The virulent green vines burst out of the ground under the creature and wrapped around it. The constricting tendrils holding the monster in place caused minor fractures to appear on its stone body from pressure. Lance took the opportunity to pull the large gun off his back and channeled some dark magic into it. The resulting Dark Shot blasted the Rock Sprite into shards, ending the fight.

Propping his gun on the ground, Lance rubbed arm to relieve the ache caused by landing on it and watched Matt shift through the small rocks left behind by the monsters to retrieve a few gold pieces. "This is going to be a bigger pain than we thought if all the monsters here are disguised as stray rocks," the gunner grumbled.

Natalie shook her head, "They were a different color from the cave walls and floor. Now that we know what to look for, they won't be able to surprise us as easily. Well, assuming they're all the same color as those three were."

Their party set off again, this time keeping a close eye out for anything unusual that might be dangerous.

The holes leading to the surface became fewer and further between but it wasn't until Matt tripped headfirst into a stalagmite that they realized how dark their surroundings had gotten. Natalie shut her eyes in concentration and a small fireball appeared floating in the air, illuminating the immediate area with a soft, flickering, orange glow. The flame revealed Matt getting up and shaking his head to dispel the dizziness from his unintentional meeting with the rock.

"Handy," Anna commented, "how long can you keep it going for?"

Natalie pursed her lips in thought, "Well, it takes a lot more control to hold a ball of fire in place than it does to just fling a blast at a target; plus, I'm out of practice. I'll probably be okay for a couple of hours; not sure I'll be able to maintain it in combat, though."

Lance frowned, "Are you sure? It'll be a huge drain on your mana to keep a fire ball going the entire time we're down here and I don't have enough control over my mana to help."

Natalie hesitated, "I should be fine. Besides, didn't you mention something about crystals, Anna?"

"Yeah, there are some large crystals that start about halfway through the cave that glow. If you can light the way until then we'll be able to use them for light instead." Anna assured her.

"'Doesn't solve our problem for fighting, though," Matt reminded her. He turned to Lance, "'Got any flares we could use?"

"Good idea, Matt. I think I still have a few, let me check," the gunner started digging through the many pockets on his jacket. "No, not there… Maybe this one…? Nope… Oh, that's where that Bottled Darkness ended up! Sweet, now I can finish upgrading my gun! ...Oo, bad place to leave a bomb…"

Matt, Anna, and Natalie shifted backwards slightly when Lance pulled the errant explosive out of a pocket on the inside of the jacket near his chest and slid it into an ammo pouch at his waist. They exchanged a few glances but before anything could be said, Lance gave an: _ah, ha, a_ nd held up a handful of flares.

"Dude, you need to empty those pockets more frequently. You have _way_ too much stuff in them," Matt said with a shake of his head.

"Never mind how much stuff is in them, I'm pretty sure I saw a vial of Bio Virus get moved out of the same pocket he had the bomb in. Are you trying to get us all killed?" Natalie said with wide eyes.

"I'm confused as to how the heck some of that stuff fit in there without showing…" Anna muttered.

Lance rolled his eyes with a huff, "Whatever. I found the flares so let's get moving before Natz gets tired."

Matt shrugged and led the way down the tunnel with Natalie and Anna behind him and Lance bringing up the rear. The only monsters that dared to attack them over the next hour or so were a couple of bats that had been disturbed by the travelers' passing. A few well-placed shots from Anna and Lance took them down quickly with no need for Natalie to drop her fire-light.

A few minutes had passed after the brief battle when Matt glanced back to see how Natalie was holding up only to frown at the slight sheen of sweat that glistened on her forehead in the flickering light. Her eyes were gazing forward blankly, oblivious to the concerned look she was receiving. The swordsman stopped abruptly causing Anna and Lance to stop as well. Natalie didn't seem to notice the halt and kept trudging until Matt caught her shoulder. The mage blinked out of her stupor and stared in confusion at Matt with eyes dulled from exhaustion. The blonde's frown deepened.

"We're going to have to take a quick break, Natz is tired," Matt announced.

Lance peered at Natalie's face for a moment taking in the pinched look, sweat, and dark circles forming under her eyes, and nodded, "Yeah, she's used too much mana, might take a while for her to get back enough to make it to those crystals. She should have spoken up sooner, but I suppose it doesn't surprise me that she didn't." He then turned to survey the section of cave they stood in, "I'm not really comfortable stopping here—especially with no light—but we don't have much choice."

Anna uncapped her canteen and handed it over for Natalie to drink. She watched in concern as Natalie simply stared blankly at the offered drink for several seconds before finally accepting the canteen. The archer then faced the two men in their group, "We're almost to the crystals, we could try just making our way in the dark. I'm pretty sure the path stays straight for the rest of the way."

Lance looked skeptical but Matt nodded, "Might as well. Natz, you can stop the fire-light now."

Once again, Natalie just blinked at him so Matt repeated the order and finally the ball of fire flickered out. Matt reached out and groped in the dark for a few seconds before he managed to grab the dazed mage's hand. Setting his free hand on the cave wall, Matt continued walking down the tunnel, leading Natalie. He heard the echoing sound of the footsteps of the other two following behind them. It was quiet until a muffled gasp was heard followed by a smacking sound that echoed loudly through the tunnel. Matt stopped to listen, paying no mind to Natalie bumping into him, already having a fair idea of what had happened.

"Pervert!" Anna hissed furiously.

"Hey, you were in the way of the wall! What was I supposed to do? And how did you manage to hit my face in this gloom, anyway?" Lance defended himself. It would have been believable if he hadn't adopted an overly-innocent tone. Another slap echoed down the tunnel.

" _Yup, thought so,_ " Matt thought in amusement. He could just see Anna puffing up, ready to blow and, as amusing as that would have been, he had to stop it. "Now isn't the time for this, you two. Lance, keep your hands to yourself; Anna, wait until we're out before blowing up any further."

An angry snort from Anna and a muttered ' _I thought we were friends_ ' from Lance were their responses. The next few minutes were uncomfortably silent, broken only by muttered curses when someone tripped as they continued trekking through the darkness. Natalie had recovered enough to walk on her own without being guided, but kept quiet as she enjoyed holding hands with Matt.

Gradually, a dim glow began to light the tunnel. It was such a faint increase in light that, at first, the travelers didn't notice any change to the blackness surrounding them. Finally, Anna spoke up, mentioning that she thought she could see now. The other three blinked a few times and realized the archer was right. A pale glow was coming from around the corner and the dim light made it possible to see the shadowy shapes of stalactites and stalagmites jutting out of the ceiling and floor respectively. Eager to be out of the darkness, the four picked up their pace and rounded the corner to stare in awe at the sight before them, lingering irritation and exhaustion forgotten.

Crystals of all shapes and sizes sprung up from the walls, ceiling, and floor of the cavern they had entered. Every single one of them glowed gently in all sorts of colors. There were pink and purple, blue and green, red and yellow, white and orange. Some crystals stretched almost to the ceiling that soared high above their heads while others could fit in the palms of their hands. The cavern was very bright and the four simply stood there in the entrance to it for a few moments, blinking to adjust their eyes to the change in lighting.

"It's beautiful!" Natalie gasped in awe, staring starry-eyed at the sight before them.

Anna nodded in wide-eyed agreement, "I don't think beautiful quite covers it, but it's a good start."

Lance eyed an arch covered in small red crystals in fascination, "I wonder what they're made of and how they glow like this?"

Matt walked over to a large yellow crystal and laid a hand on its smooth surface, "Hey they're warm too! Kinda makes my hand feel tingly, too."

Natalie walked over to stand next to him and touched the crystal, "Sure enough. They must have high concentrations of mana in them; I can practically feel the mana in there."

"I guess breaking a few pieces off to take with us is out of the question, then," Lance sighed in disappointment, "If they're chocked full of magic, they're probably volatile."

Anna knelt next to a cluster of small green crystals, "Maybe we could chip around the stones at the base of one and take it with us? If nothing else, it would be a good source of light."

"It wouldn't last very long," a new voice spoke up from behind the party.

All four of them whirled around to face the stranger watching them. It was an older man with greying blond hair and gray-green eyes. He had a pickax tucked into his belt next to a short sword and a small pack slung over his shoulder. He smiled at the startled looks on their faces, "I don't see too many people come through here anymore. The name's Shawn. Why don't you four join me at my camp? I can whip up something for you all to eat and we'll chat awhile; I can explain about these here crystals." Seeing the looks of wary hesitation the four young travelers were sharing at his offer, he pushed a little harder. "No need for those looks, now; besides, the young lady with the staff is looking rather tired, a warm meal would do her good."

Shawn watched with keen eyes as the young blond swordsman immediately turned to look at the red-haired girl before nodding in agreement. The young man in the camo exchanged a glance with the green haired archer before shrugging. Seeing that they were all in agreement, Shawn turned and motioned for them to follow. They walked between the glowing crystals for a little while, quiet awe-filled comments still popping up from the four younger people as they stared around them here and there.

They arrived at a small tent with a small camp stove set up in front of it. "Here we are; camp sweet camp! Pull up a rock and I'll heat up the stew I made this morning," Shawn waved them towards the stove as he dug in the tent for a moment before pulling out the container that held the aforementioned stew. He then tossed a few pieces of glowing crystal into the stove. Three of his four guests settled themselves on the ground to watch, the man in the camo stayed standing watching him carefully with sharp red eyes.

"What's the crystal supposed to do?" the archer asked, her green eyes shining in curiosity.

The man chuckled, "I've found that if you use a few small crystals and then toss a match on 'em they'll heat the stove just as well as wood or coal but without the smoke."

"Wow, that saves you a lot of trouble hauling wood down here," she mused thoughtfully.

Shawn laughed, "And keeps the smoke from filling the cave!" He poured the stew into a pot which he then set on top of the stove. He settled back to wait for it to heat up and then turned to face his young guests. The red haired mage was dozing against the blond swordsman's shoulder. The archer was sitting cross-legged with her chin propped on her hands, while the ever-vigilant gunner simply leaned back against a large red crystal. "Now then, I've been studying these crystals for the past few years so let me tell you what I've found. First off, they are indeed filled with mana but they're very hard so I wouldn't worry too much about breaking them accidentally; though they will explode if they do shatter. Second, they seem to feed off the mana running through the cave so if you cut them off from the source they run dry and stop glowing; it'll take anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on the size of the crystal. They're still fairly valuable when drained, but mining them is dangerous and this cavern is pretty far removed from society so no one wants to try profiting from them." He chuckled at the slightly put out looks on the two men's faces before continuing, "Finally, and this'll probably be the one that you need to know the most, the mana they exude tends to attract monsters so be careful running around here."

The group had relaxed enough to introduce themselves by the time he had finished explaining and they chatted for a while as they waited for the stew to finish heating. Shawn was surprised to discover that he had come across the heroes who had defeated Akron, although he didn't recognize Anna's name at all. Finally, the stew was warmed and Shawn pulled out a few cups and bowls and dolloped some stew into each of them and passed them around. He watched in amusement as the four inhaled the food, "Hungry, are you? Well, help yourself to more; I always make too much, anyway."

Matt immediately served himself another helping and promptly began inhaling that one too, "This is really good! What's the meat in it?" He asked with a mouthful of stew.

Shawn chuckled slightly nervously, unsure as to how they would handle this piece of news, "Would you be disturbed if I said the bats that fly around the caverns?"

To his surprise and relief, the four merely shook their heads and Matt said: "Good use for the flying rodents."

The old man nodded towards Natalie, "Glad to see some color back in your face, Miss Natalie. Used too much magic on your way here, did you?"

Natalie blushed slightly at having been called out, "Yeah, we didn't bring any sort of light source so I was in charge of holding some fire steady to light the way."

Shawn let out a low whistle, "That's some impressive mana control. I have an idea that might help, though, if you want to try it." He paused until he saw the mage nod eagerly, "Why don't you try channeling some mana into one of these crystals? It won't take nearly as much fine control or mana to manage, if it works. It'll be helpful for my research, too, since I can't use magic to save my life."

Natalie gave a big grin and scrambled up, "Let's try it!"

The rest of the group stood up as well and the old man pulled out his pickax. They made their way over to a patch of small orange crystals and Shawn carefully dug one out of the ground. There was an immediate change in brightness; it was still glowing but much dimmer than when it had been stuck in the ground. He passed the crystal to Natalie who held it in both hands. There was a brief pause and suddenly, the crystal flared up to full brightness again. Natalie tried feeding it varying levels of mana; too much mana made the crystal shine brighter, but it heated up as well. Decreasing the mana flow made the light dim down again.

"This is kinda fun, not to mention cool," Natalie giggled. "And you're right, Shawn: it isn't nearly as draining as the fire ball I was doing earlier."

"Lemme try, lemme try!" Anna begged. Natalie passed it over and they found Anna could make it brighten, but not nearly as much as Natalie. Matt tried it next but could only make it glow dimly while Lance did about as well as Natalie.

Shawn stood back and watched as the four goofed around with the glowing crystal, "Well, why don't I dig up one for each of you to take with you?" He then added with a chuckle, "Maybe one day you'll look back and remember me."

Anna twisted to look at him with a bright smile, "Would you really? That would be great!"

"Sure," Shawn said with a smile, "and you can even pick the color you want." He then led the way to another patch of crystals.

The digging ended with a small green crystal for Anna, a small blue one for Matt, Lance got a small red one, while Natalie kept her orange one. The mage girl tried to give Shawn some of the gold they had gathered to pay for the crystals, but he waved it off with a smile stating they had been great company and that the minor digging for the few small crystals was hardly a job requiring payment.

The four thanked him and then, with a final wave and a request to be careful from Shawn, they continued through the caverns to Whitefall Town.

They had only been walking for twenty minutes when they reached a series of old wooden bridges that spanned a dark chasm. Lance bent down and picked up a small rock which he then tossed into the pit. A few seconds passed without them hearing the rock hit the bottom.

"Better not fall down there; I don't think even Matt would survive the landing." Natalie nervously joked.

They set out across the first bridge single-file, without incident. The second bridge went the same way; though, Matt jokingly decided to stress test the bridge by jumping on it—while they were all standing on it—which earned him whap on the back of the head from Natalie.

The third bridge was where everything went wrong. They got onto the bridge with no problem, but just as Matt and Natalie made it to the end—far ahead of Anna and Lance, as Natalie did not want to stay on the bridge for any longer than necessary—a stone golem rose up from a pile of boulders. The construct began lumbering towards the bridge. Lance glanced back towards where they had just come from when he felt the bridge vibrate violently. His red eyes widened in shock at the sight of the Golem stepping on the bridge resulting in the splintering sound of breaking wood. Spinning around, Lance snagged Anna by the upper arm and began running towards where Natalie and Matt were waiting, staring towards another group of glowing crystals. Anna let out a surprised shout when Lance grabbed and dragged her forward, causing Matt and Natalie to turn towards them and their jaws to drop in horrified shock.

"Don't come onto the bridge!" Lance shouted at them when he saw Matt take a step forward.

Anna glanced backwards to see what had Lance so panicked. Her heart skipped a beat when she spotted the Stone Golem before sinking in despair when she realized they would never make it to safety before the immense weight of the monster broke the bridge. They were four feet away from the end of the bridge when a loud crack split the air and the bridge's support beams gave out beneath the Golem sending it plummeting into the darkness of the chasm. Anna's heart rose to her throat, cutting off her scream before it could form as she and Lance stayed suspended for a brief moment before they plunged down. Matt's and Natalie's shrieks of their names echoed down after the falling pair as they vanished from sight.


	8. Chapter Eight

Freezing air whipped past Lance and Anna's faces as they fell at terminal velocity. Distantly, Lance registered Matt and Natalie screaming after the falling pair and he hoped that it wouldn't be the last time he heard them before he tightened his grip on Anna's arm and swung his gunblade with as much force as possible into the cliff rushing past his face in a desperate attempt to slow his and Anna's fall. The terrible shrieking sound of metal on stone filled the air, and the breakneck pace of their fall began to gradually slow. Lance gritted his teeth in pain as he felt his arms jerk from the sudden resistance. The gunner slammed into the cliff side and he groaned from the impact before the adrenaline rushing through him dulled the pain. His heart rate picked up further than the fall had done when he realized Anna's arm was slipping from his grasp. He tightened his grip, but it didn't seem to help.

"Anna! You're slipping! I need you to hold onto my arm or you're going to fall!" He shouted, trying to be heard over the wind rushing past them. His already racing heart sped up even further as she didn't seem to hear him. " _O _r, she's passed out,__ " his mind unhelpfully suggested. " _Anna!_ Grab! On! To! My! Arm!" he yelled desperately as he felt his grip slip further.

Anna was in a state of terrified shock and had heard Lance the first time, but was unable to make her body respond. The second scream of her name snapped her out of shock-induced stupor and she flung her free arm up to grab onto Lance's wrist in a death-grip.

Lance briefly closed his eyes in relief when he felt Anna grasp his wrist; another few seconds and she would have been lost. His eyes snapped open again and he forced himself to look down. They were still falling way too quickly, but it was notably slower than it had been a few seconds ago. The frigid air rushing past his face caused his eyes to water and his eyelids reflexively screwed shut. He could only pray they would slow down enough to survive hitting the ground.

The time they spent falling seemed to stretch on indefinitely and Lance began to wonder if maybe they would never hit the bottom because the chasm truly was bottomless. Sweat beaded his forehead as he clung to his weapon and he gritted his teeth against the ache forming in his arms and shoulders from supporting both his and Anna's weight. Their fall had slowed considerably by this point and Lance began to think that maybe they would be okay; or at least as okay as they could be having fallen down a huge chasm in the middle of a monster infested cave. Suddenly, his gunblade ran across a long crack in the stone and slipped free of the wall, causing Lance's heart to stop for a second before his back slammed into the ground with Anna landing on top of him. Pain exploded throughout the gunner's entire body and it took all of his willpower to avoid passing out.

" _Pain is good,_ " Lance told himself, his breathing ragged as he tried his best to keep from releasing a scream, " _pain says you're still alive. You survived the fall. Now just avoid thinking about what might be broken. Focus on something else, anything else._ " He tried concentrating on his breathing, but that just reminded him of how much his chest ached from its impact with the cliff. Then, he tried to see where they had landed, but it was pitch-black. Finally, he decided to focus on Anna's breathing since it was the only thing he could hear besides his own. That was when he realized the ranger was still lying on top of him.

"As much as I enjoy having a woman draped over me, my ribs would certainly appreciate it if you got off," Lance ground out from between clenched teeth. The resulting surprised jerk from Anna forced a hiss of pain out of Lance, followed by a low groan of agony as she rolled off him and jarred his aching ribs.

Anna's heart was still beating three times too fast, but aside from that, she had escaped the fall with no repercussions; however, judging from the quiet noises of pain coming from the man next to her, she knew the same was not true for Lance. A sudden wheezing laugh from Lance caused her to jolt into sitting upright as she stared into the blackness in the general direction it came from. "…Lance?" she ventured hesitantly. She hoped the fact that he was laughing didn't mean he had suffered a concussion.

Lance took a shallow painful breath, "I was just thinking about what Natalie said about not surviving a fall down the chasm. Maybe Matt wouldn't, but it looks like we did."

Anna released a slightly hysterical giggle before sobering slightly, "Thanks to you, Lance. If it had just been me falling, I would definitely be a human shaped stain on the cave floor right now." Her eyes widened in the darkness as the realization of what had happened set in, "Holy Godcat, are you okay? Is anything broken? Can you stand?"

Lance let out another painful sounding chuckle, "Dunno if I want to try standing just yet, but I think I'll live; although, it'll probably be for ten years less than I would have before our unplanned cliff diving. I probably have a massive bruise on my back, my arms and shoulders ache something awful, and my ribs hurt like hell; I think I cracked a couple when I hit the wall while we were falling. Not bad, all things considered. I'm lucky it wasn't worse. It'll have to wait until we get back to Matt and Natz, though. Assuming we even _can_ get back to them." He paused briefly and took a few shallow breaths before asking, "How about you: anything serious?"

Anna shook her head before realizing he wouldn't be able to see the motion in the dark, "No, I'm probably also missing ten years, but other than that I'm fine." She began shuffling in the pouch at her waist for her ocarina, "You're in luck, by the way. If the ribs are just cracked, then I can heal them, along with any bruises or scrapes you might have. No need to suffer until we get back to the other two; and we _will_ make it back." Locating the small instrument, thankfully unbroken, Anna lifted it to her mouth.

"I forgot you can use healing magic. How does it-" Lance broke off as a soft melody filled the darkness, echoing off unseen walls. An ethereal, green glow appeared around Lance's body and illuminated the area they were in. Anna was kneeling close to Lance's left side, her eyes closed in concentration, a small ocarina at her lips. The gunner could feel the healing magic flowing over his body, healing the bruise on his back before it seemed to melt into his chest to mend the cracked ribs. The song ended, and as the glow faded out, Lance took an experimental deep breath and was immensely pleased to feel no pain from the action. Finally sitting up, Lance noticed that, while his arms and shoulders still ached, it wasn't as bad as before.

He whistled softly in admiration, "Not bad, Anna. It hardly hurts at all now, thanks." Hearing her inhale sharply, he frowned and asked, "Does something hurt after all?"

The ranger let out an embarrassed laugh, "No, it's nothing like that, don't worry about it. Now, what are we going to do for light?"

Lance's frown deepened at her evasive response. He reached into the pocket where he had tucked the small red crystal Shawn had dug up for him, pulled it out, and pushed some mana into it, causing it to glow. He stared at Anna's now illuminated face, searching for any sign of pain. He could see she was uncomfortable and was avoiding his eyes. "Be honest; if something hurts, you should say so now. Hiding it will only be a detriment later if we run into monsters, especially while it's just the two of us. Now, what hurts?" Anna shifted before making a move to stand which Lance stopped by grabbing her wrist.

Anna huffed, "Nothing hurts, really. It's stupid, okay? Now let's get going; the sooner we start, the sooner we'll be out of here, right?" She attempted unsuccessfully to tug her arm out of Lance's grasp a few times before sighing in defeat. "Fine, fine, I still say it's stupid, but if you insist. It's just that you've never used my name before." She was thankful for the red light covering the blush she was sure was painted on her face.

Lance blinked a few times and released Anna's wrist with a faint hidden blush of his own. An awkward silence fell between them before Lance broke it with a stupid comment, "Hey, that was the third time I've used it," he grinned at the confused look Anna sent his way, "I used it twice while we were falling!"

Rolling her eyes, Anna couldn't quite keep the smile off of her face, "Of course, my mistake. C'mon, let's see if we can find a way back up that doesn't involve climbing this cliff."

The two began walking and it wasn't long before they spotted a narrow crack in the wall that, upon closer inspection, led to a small tunnel. Anna had only just slipped through the crack before she slipped right back out again and motioned for Lance to be quiet. Leading him back a few paces, Anna leaned in close, "There's a big, blue, floating enemy sleeping just inside the tunnel. It has icy armor and an equally icy sword attached to its arm. Should we kill it or try to sneak past it?"

Lance inhaled sharply, "An Ice Elemental. I'd rather not have to fight it since they're very fast and use strong magic. They're weak to fire magic—which I can do—but I think we should try sneaking past it. Anything else you noticed in there?"

Anna shook her head, "Other than the fact that the walls and floor are shiny, which likely means ice, I didn't see anything else. I probably don't need to tell you to watch your footing."

"Great, bad terrain, an Ice Elemental, and there's only two of us. Elementals are pretty big, so luring it out here is a no go," Lance grumbled before sighing. "I guess we'll just have to do our best to be quiet. I'll go first."

Anna nodded and watched Lance ready his weapon, just in case, and slip through the crack before doing the same. Lance was already halfway across the small room heading for the tunnel on the opposite side when Anna noticed a small chunk of ice suddenly break away from sheet that had formed on the wall. "Lance _,_ " Anna hissed warningly, trying not to awaken the sleeping elemental. Lance glanced back at her whisper and she saw the Ice Idol totter towards him. Anna watched the gunner's shoulders rise and fall in a resigned sigh before he pulled one of his flares from his pocket and pointed at the Elemental and motioned for her to take a shot while it was still out. Anna nodded and drew her Sky Feather Back to full draw with three arrows nocked on the string. As soon as she saw Lance light the flare, which immediately glowed a brilliant red, Anna released her three arrows at the Ice Elemental in a Combo Shot. Two of the arrows slammed home in the creature's chest, but the third glanced off its icy armor and skittered across the cave floor until it hit came to rest at the wall.

The monster let out an unearthly shriek at the violent awakening and immediately launched a massive Ice Shard at the ranger in retaliation. Anna dove for the floor dodging the frozen spear so narrowly she felt the wind of its passing tug at her hair. The chunk of ice shattered against the wall behind her, scattering tiny shards across the cave floor. Anna tried to roll back onto her feet, but the slippery footing caused her to tumble forward and she barely kept her head from connecting with the floor. Opting to stay down, the ranger kneeled and, holding her bow horizontally, drew another arrow back.

Meanwhile, Lance had crushed the Ice Idol in one fell swing only to be tackled by a second one that popped off the wall. The gunner hit the ground on his side and while he was sliding away, took a shot at the second Idol, shattering it as soon as the bullet hit. The recoil from his shot made Lance spin on the ice before he dug his gunblade into the floor to stop himself. " _With all the times I've spent sticking this thing into walls and floors recently, I might as well retire it to be a pick,_ " Lance thought sarcastically while he stood up to see how Anna was doing.

The archer's fourth arrow, which had been aimed at the Elemental's head, had instead taken off the creature's frozen horn when the beast had ducked out of its path. Unfortunately, this did nothing to stop the creature as it advanced towards where Anna knelt on the floor. The Elemental raised the chunk of sharpened ice it had attached to its arm and prepared to bring it down on the girl who was trying to find purchase on the slippery floor to back away. Just as the frozen sword began its downward stroke, a shot rang out and blazing fire engulfed the creature's entire arm. The sudden blast of heat melted the ice Anna sat on and she took the opportunity to spring to her feet and stab the shrieking creature right in the middle of its forehead with an arrow. The cries of pain cut off abruptly as the Elemental collapsed on the ground, dead.

Anna stepped back and took a few calming breaths. Lance was already seeing if the creatures had anything worthwhile on them and came back with some gold and a few pieces of the Ice Elemental's frozen armor and an Opal he had found frozen in one of the Idols. The two then continued down the next tunnel, which they were pleased to note sloped upward sharply. They didn't say much until Lance heard a strange clicking sound and glanced back to see Anna shivering rather heavily. The sound caused by her teeth chattering.

"Cold, Anna?" Lance asked, before realizing what a stupid question that was. Of course she was cold; they were at the bottom of a cave where the walls were covered in ice. Plus, she was obviously shuddering. " _She wasn't shivering before, though, what changed?_ " he wondered.

"It wasn't so bad earlier, but now my clothes are wet," Anna said. "That said: I'd take wet clothes over being in two pieces, any day. Nice shooting, by the way," she grinned. " _I'm glad were not fighting with each other all the time, right now; this hike would be way worse if we were. It's kinda nice to be on good terms with him,_ " Anna thought with a smile.

"Thanks, you too," Lance said absently. " _Wet clothes, huh? I doubt she has any changes on her and a blanket would get in the way; though, that would be better than her getting hypothermia. Oh, wait, I know."_ He stopped and set his pack down to dig through it, ignoring the curious look he got from Anna. "Here we go, you can wear this until we're out," Lance held out a long black coat with a few badges pinned to it.

Anna gratefully took it and shrugged it on, immediately enjoying the extra warmth it trapped, "Thanks, that's much better. Where did you get this, you seem a little young to have been an officer in the military." She caught a brief wince from Lance as he picked his pack back up, "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to."

Lance waved his hand and started walking again, this time walking next to Anna, "Nah, that's okay. I had it made for my attempt at world conquest."

" _You_ attempted to take over the world? I don't remember hearing anything about crazy red-heads with bullet-shooting swords trying to take over the world," Anna said skeptically.

Lance shot her a slightly wary glance, "Did you hear about a robot army trying to do a hostile takeover?" He paused until she nodded, "Well, those were mine. I took over a few abandoned factories and a satellite laser right after the Matt and Natz had stopped some megalomaniac with gold hair from blowing up the world ; that was their first world saving quest. I figured I could build a solid empire with a robot army before they recovered, but obviously that didn't happen. I think they must have pushed out immediately to stop me, because it wasn't too long before they blew up my first factory; a couple weeks, at most." Lance's red eyes were unfocused as he remembered their fight. "Anyway, it wasn't long before they challenged me at my home-base. I thought they were a couple of wimps and that my Valkyrie Tank and I would be more than a match for them. I was wrong; it wasn't a quick or an easy fight, and I almost killed both of them, but in the end they blew up my tank. I barely got away from the blast."

Anna's jaw had dropped by this point, "And they _didn't_ kill you? Not that I think they should have, or anything, but why not?"

Lance shrugged and shook his head with a rare, fond smile on his face, "Dunno, you'd have to ask them. Personally, I think I was the first human they had fought and they couldn't bring themselves to kill me. I was sure they were going to at the time, though. Matt was standing over me with his sword still in hand, but he just said something like 'GG, well played' and invited me to join them."

"Wow… And I thought his agreeing to help me despite my shooting him was ridiculously nice of him," Anna said with a laugh. "Do you think they're looking for you right now?"

"They're probably looking for both of us, not just me. Matt's taken a liking to you. So has Natz, for that matter," Lance corrected before snorting, "Assuming they aren't just standing there, anyway. I wouldn't put it past them to think we'd choose to climb back out."

Anna blinked in mild disbelief, "Really? I've only known them for a little over a day now." She then gave Lance a crooked grin and nudged his shoulder, "and what about you? Do you like me?"

"If I didn't like you, you wouldn't be standing here right now," Lance said flatly.

Anna opened her mouth to respond, but stopped before a single word was said. The two came around a bend and stepped out into a large cavern with a few glowing crystals at the far end. They could both hear distant curses and sobbing. The sounds were distorted by the echoing, but were unmistakable as Matt and Natalie. The gunner and the archer exchanged a brief excited look and took off running down the next tunnel. They broke out into a much brighter cavern and saw they had looped around to come out on the same side of the chasm as the swordsman and the mage. Matt was swearing an oath of vengeance on all golems for killing his friends while Natalie was attempting to say a few words of farewell through her sobs.

"I can't believe they're actually still standing here," Lance grumbled in disgust. "And they think we died! You'd think they'd have a little more faith than _that_." He took a deep breath to shout over to them but Anna clapped a hand over his mouth to prevent him from calling out to the two kneeling near where they had fallen hours earlier. Lance gave Anna a disgruntled look, clearly wondering what was up.

The ranger's face was lit up with a mischievous grin, "I wanna scare them!"

Lance stared at her in disbelief for a few seconds before sighing, "Fine, whatever. I'll be over here while they stab or burn you. And just so you know, I'm going to laugh when they do."

Anna waved away the warning and ducked out of sight behind some boulders, making her way to behind the two. He watched in mild interest as she slipped over to some large crystals that grew over the unaware would-be mourners' heads and shimmied silently up them. Once she was at the top, she jumped down to land next to Natalie with a loud " _Boo!"_ Predictably, Natalie screamed in surprise and leapt behind Matt who brandished Heaven's Gate at the prankster.

Confusion promptly filled the swordsman's blue eyes as he stared at a laughing Anna wearing Lance's Officer Coat. " _How the heck did she get that? There's no way Lance would hand it over to just anyone, which means…"_ he gasped in realization and raised his sword higher, "Natalie, watch out! The impact of the two hitting the ground must have fused Lance and Anna together! Who knows how it'll react now?" the fused mutant slapped a palm to its face in exasperation while simultaneously laughing.

"Seriously, Matt?" a familiar voice called from behind him, "Another stupid statement like that one and I'll start wondering if you jumped down after us and hit your head too hard on the bottom." Matt twisted to see Lance leaning against the wall not too far away. Before he could say anything, though, Natalie shoved past him to tackle the fused-mutant-who-wasn't-actually-a-fused-mutant in a large hug.

"Anna! Lance! You're both alive! I was so certain you'd died!" Natalie exclaimed ecstatically.

Lance snorted as he made his way over to join them, "A fall down a cliff might kill someone weak like Matt, but not me." He and Matt shared a brofist.

"What's Anna doing with your coat, Lance?" Matt questioned. He never thought he'd see anyone else wearing it, Lance guarded the thing jealously.

"Eh, she got wet and was cold is all. I'll get it back from her when we get out of here."

Anna returned the mage's hug and gave Matt a high-five when they separated, "What do you guys say we get out of here now? I've had enough spelunking to last me a lifetime." A round of agreement later and the four friends set off to where they could see the day light coming in from the outside right between the thickest clumps of crystals yet.


	9. Chapter Nine

"Almost there, Whitefall Town should be right through that opening," Anna sighed in relief.

Natalie glanced around, "Weird that there aren't any monsters around, you'd think there would be quite a few hanging around the cave opening; I wonder where they all are?"

Matt shivered as a cold wind blew through the cave and rustled the party's clothing and hair, "Maybe the wind is what keeps them away? At least there isn't some huge monster waiting for us, like there usually is."

As if in response, the crystalline structures growing near the cave exit suddenly shifted and rose out of the ground on the back of what looked like a massive stone tortoise. The creature had jagged yellow crystals for eyes and a large, round, blue stone with a swirl was set in the middle of its back. With one earth-shaking stomp, several crystal-embedded stones floated out of the ground to flank the behemoth that now barred the cave's exit. For the moment, the creature seemed to merely be watching the party, but it was clear that any forward movement would lead to it attacking them.

Matt chuckled nervously, "Oops, looks like I spoke a little too soon."

"You don't say?" Lance said sarcastically, getting into a battle stance.

Anna gulped, "I don't remember hearing anything about a giant crystal monster being here. What can we do to hurt a moving pile of rocks?"

"Explosives usually work well and sometimes water or ice does, too," Natalie replied. "Though, something feels a bit off here; that thing is radiating mana. If we can find out what kind of magic it uses, then maybe we can use the opposite to do some extra damage?"

Lance began rattling out a series of instructions for the team, "We'll need to feel out its attacks, first. Anna: your bow won't be much help against the big guy, but I bet you can knock out the Bits floating next to it. Matt: you and I are going to run point as usual. Try slashing at it and don't get stepped on. Natalie: you're on support for now, once we figure out what kind of magic this thing does, you can try some spells on it. Is everyone ready?"

The rest of the party nodded. Anna slipped back, and clambered up a nearby boulder to get a higher vantage point. Natalie stayed where she was standing and began casting a Barrier spell to defend them from magical damage. Matt and Lance charged side-by-side straight at the Crystal Golem. The monster let out a low grumble and raised one stone leg to crush the pair only for the two to dodge out of the way and roll up on either side of the boss. The massive foot slammed into the ground where they had been standing. A thick sheet of ice formed where the foot struck before shattering and sending shards of razor sharp ice spraying out. Natalie noticed the effect, and launched a large Fireball at the monster's shoulder causing a chunk of stone to break off and the creature to stagger back half a step.

From her vantage point, Anna picked off the two floating crystals with a couple of well-placed arrows. She saw when Natalie launched the spell and noticed that the massive colored stone on its back flashed from blue to yellow. Before she could call out this change to the three below, Matt swung his Heaven's Gate in a mighty slash. The sword bit deep into the creature's leg before Matt yanked it back out and jumped back to dodge another stomp. A Yellow Bit formed out of the ground to intercept Lance's attack and the creature's crystal flashed again, this time from yellow to red.

"Guys, every time you hit it, the crystal on its back changes color! It went from blue to yellow and now it's red!" Anna shouted down.

Natalie had seen the crystal change and heard Anna's warning, but had already launched another Fireball spell at the golem. This time, instead of taking off a chunk of the creature, the slash Matt had made in its leg sealed up. "Damn it, it healed that time," she cursed. The mage cast a quick Healmore spell on Matt and Lance to fix the cuts they had received from the monster's initial ice attack.

Lance made a running leap and landed on a crystal halfway up the golem's right leg. Reaching into the ammo pouch at his waist, the gunner fished out a hand bomb and wedged it in between the crystal and the stone of the leg before diving off again. A split second after Lance hit the ground, an explosion echoed through the cavern and shards of stone showered off the monster's leg leaving a small crater in the appendage. The large crystal on the golem's back shifted to blue again.

"It looks like the golem cycles through three colors, changing every time we do damage to it," Natalie called. "It goes from blue, which is ice, to yellow, which, I assume, is lightning, and finally, to red, which is fire."

"Got it," Matt shouted back, dodging another freezing blow. "Anna and Natalie, can you two yell out what color the crystal is when it changes?"

"Sure thing, it's blue right now," Anna called back. "We'd better avoid any multi-hit attacks while we fight this thing," She spotted another Bit form out of the ground behind Matt and snapped off another arrow to destroy it.

Natalie launched a single bolt of lightning, but only glanced across the golem's back. "Darn, just barely nicked the thing," she grumbled before raising her voice again, "The crystal is yellow now!"

Anna watched as Lance rolled out of the way of a sparking stone tail and fired a bullet into the creature's face. She called out the change from yellow to red, but noted there were no new Bits to take out and thought bitterly, " _I can't do anything to it, I can only call out when someone else makes a hit and knock down the bits when they appear. If only I had more elemental attacks than just Ivy._ " A snatch of conversation from the day before floated into her head at the thought.

 _"…He can't cast large spells of pure magic like I can, but he can channel magic through his weapon for some offensive strikes…"_ Natalie's brief explanation of Matt's elemental attacks echoed in Anna's mind, and her green eye's widened in remembrance. A yelp from Matt followed by Natalie calling out another shift, this time from red to blue, snapped Anna out of her thoughts. Looking down over the battle still going on, the archer noted that, once again, no new Bits had appeared, but Matt had been thrown into the wall by the golem's leg having been unable to completely dodge the counter-attack for his latest swipe. Judging by the smoke surrounding the crater, the golem's blow had been a fire attack. Natalie was already casting a Heal spell on the groaning swordsman while Lance climbed up the boss' leg onto its back to plant another bomb before sliding off, dodging the resulting blast and landing next to Matt who was getting to his feet. Lifting her bow up and nocking an arrow, Anna called out a shift to blue and began concentrating on focusing magic into the arrow she held against the bowstring.

Natalie glanced around in alarm at sensing a fluctuation in mana near where Anna was perched only to realize the source was the archer herself. As the mage watched wide-eyed, lightning sparked around the arrow's head just before Anna let it fly towards the Crystal Golem's face. The missile hit its mark right between the beast's eyes and yellow lightning crackled about the creature's head causing it to rear back in surprise. The behemoth let out a grumbling bellow and its crystal changed to yellow again.

"Sweet, it worked!" Anna exclaimed in surprised glee. "The crystal is yellow again!" Her excitement morphed to horror as she watched the greatly weakened golem begin a last-ditch, enraged charge towards Lance and Matt.

There was not enough time for the two to get clear and the monster slammed into them. The force sent both men flying into the wall where they slid down and crumpled to the ground. The golem grumbled again before turning on Natalie who stood alone halfway between where Matt and Lance were slumped and where Anna was perched. The stone giant started toward Natalie, shrugging off the blast of ice the mage sent its way.

Anna got down on one knee, and forced a massive amount of mana from her palm into the stone at her feet, willing an old friend to answer her call. A glowing ring of white runes appeared in between Natalie and the charging creature. A flash of light illuminated the cavern and blinded the two fighters.

Natalie blinked to adjust her eyes back to the darkness after the sudden flash and stared in incomprehension at the sight before her. Mighty Oak had appeared out of nowhere and was grappling the now weak Crystal Golem. The tangle lasted only a few seconds before the massive wooden guardian flung the equally massive Crystal Golem to the floor and brought a wooden arm down across the fallen creature's back. The powerful blow split the color-changing crystal embedded in the back of monster into two pieces and with a final groan, the Crystal Golem fell silent. Mighty Oak vanished into small green sparkles a moment later. A sudden hush fell across the cave broken only by Anna's soft panting from the sudden expense of mana.

Natalie stayed staring at the spot Mighty Oak had just been standing at then turned her stare to where Anna was slumped on the boulder. Snapping out of her shock, the mage raced over to where Matt and Lance were still crumpled, held her staff over them, and began healing their injuries. A few tense moments passed while the mage worked before the pair simultaneously opened their eyes and sprang to their feet, weapons at the ready. They lowered their arms again in confusion upon the sight of the Crystal Golem lying in a crater across the room and turned to stare in question at Natalie. The mage gave an unhelpful shrug in response to their stares and gestured over to where Anna still lay attempting to get her breathing evened out.

"You okay, Anna?" Lance called over in concern.

The ranger didn't sit up, but wearily lifted a hand to wave back, "I'll be fine, just gimme a minute." Her hand flopped back down on her stomach.

Natalie turned back to face Matt and Lance, "Anything still hurting? That was one heck of a crash you two had."

"I'm good," Matt replied. Lance nodded his agreement, but kept his eyes on Anna. "Let's go loot that walking mine! I bet it has some awesome gems we can pry off!" Matt cheered, bounding over to the fallen golem. He immediately wedged his sword under a ruby and began working the precious stone out of the fallen monster.

Natalie shook her head in fond exasperation, "He flies headfirst into a wall and instead of taking few seconds to recoup, what does he do; runs over to find some loot. Never mind that Heaven's Gate isn't a crowbar"

Lance smirked briefly as they heard another cheer from Matt before he finally took his eyes off Anna who was just sitting up. He turned a piercing gaze on Natalie, "What happened after Matt and I were knocked out? That thing was weakened, but I somehow doubt you and Anna managed to get enough physical force to make a crater that huge."

The mage shrugged, "I'm not really sure. One second I'm about to be flattened by it, and the next that Guardian of Greenwood, Mighty Oak, was throwing it to the ground. You'll have to ask Anna for details." She smiled a greeting to Anna as the girl walked over to them, "And here she is now! How're you feeling? You looked pretty done in there."

Anna gave her a wry smile, "I _felt_ pretty done in. I've never used that much mana at once, before, nor have I ever summoned. Frankly, I'm surprised it worked. I'm okay now, though, just a little tired."

"So you summoned Mighty Oak to help?" Lance asked. "And you've never summoned before? You're lucky you didn't lose control of your magic and hurt yourself, or brought the cave down around us."

Anna bristled, missing the veiled concern in his comment, "Well, it was that or let Natz become a pancake. I wasn't planning on doing any summoning until I'd worked my magic up some, but it was the only thing I could think of at the time. Sorry for helping."

Natalie quickly cut in before Lance could retaliate, "Well, I for one am glad you did. We'd all be dead right now if you hadn't." Throwing a warning look to Lance as he opened his mouth again, "It's not like she's some complete noob when it comes to magic, Lance; nothing went wrong, so let it go. I can help you with summoning, if you want, Anna." She added to the ranger.

Anna's green eyes lit up, "You'd do that? Thank you!"

By this point, Matt had finished combing the pile of rocks that was the Crystal Golem and returned with several gemstones and a small sack filled with gold. While Lance stowed the loot, Matt grinned around the group, "Now, let's get the heck outta here! Maybe we can book a room at the inn in Whitefall once Anna finishes checking whatever it is she needs to check."

Natalie blinked having forgotten the reason Anna was with them in the first place, "That's right, I forgot we're just escorting you to Whitefall. What is it you needed to check on, again?"

A brief flicker of sadness crossed Anna's face at the reminder of the upcoming parting before she shoved the thought away and crossed her arms, "Someone stole the Greenwood Jewel around the same time you guys were stealing from the store. There are two other Jewels; one at Whitefall, and one at Goldenbrick. I need to check if Whitefall's Jewel is still there. If it is, then I'll request security be increased around it. If it isn't, well, I don't really want to think about what that might mean."

Lance nodded in understanding, "I get it. You want to make sure that the theft of the Greenwood Jewel was just an isolated case." He frowned then, "What's so important about these Jewels, anyway?"

Anna's expression darkened, "My village has a legend that if you gather the three Jewels, a great calamity will strike." She shook herself, "Now let's head out of this stupid cave and I'll check the Whitefall altar." The others nodded and they stepped towards the exit.

Five steps had been taken when the exit was sealed off by a glowing barrier that was so pale a blue it was almost white. The four travelers froze and stared at the sudden obstruction. A soft hum filled the air and a flash of light from behind the party made them whirl around, weapons out. Hovering a few feet off of the ground before the shocked group was a white cat unlike any cat they had ever seen before. Aside from the intense, ethereal light coming from it, the cat had arms and legs and deep, blue eyes that stared the party down with an ancient gaze. The four immediately felt a chill unrelated to cold air of the cave. Anna went pale and gulped, having a sinking suspicion of what floated before them.

"What the hell is that cat-thing? How is it floating like that?" Matt asked no-one in particular.

Lance leveled his gunblade at it, "Who cares? I bet it's what formed the barrier, so let's just take it out." He fired a bullet at the glowing cat. A split second before contact, the floating cat seemed to phase in and out of sight in a strange blur and the bullet continued on its trajectory to dig into the cave wall behind the creature. His red eyes widened in shock and slight fear at the unnatural motion of the creature before them. "How did it _do_ that?" he gasped.

Before one of the other three could answer him, the floating cat lifted one glowing arm and gestured almost carelessly at the gunner. An echoing voice spoke in the party's minds, " _The end of your rule is nearing, disgusting humans. Catkind shall inherit the earth once more!_ " A beam of light burst up, grazing Lance and sending him flying through the air to crash to the ground where he lay coughing, a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

" _Lance!_ " Natalie screamed, and cast the most powerful healing spell she could muster at the moment on the hacking gunner.

Anna trembled, staring at the powerful foe before them, "Guys, we are in no way ready to fight this enemy. Just try to survive!"

Ancient, echoing laughter filled their minds as the glowing cat lifted its arms once more.

Matt leapt towards Natalie as a glow appeared beneath her. " _Watch out_!" he yelled desperately, shoving the mage out of the way of the beam, taking a glancing hit from the pillar of light. Matt twisted in mid-air to land in a crouch in front of Natalie, his teeth bared in a protective snarl at the powerful cat-creature.

Anna threw herself into a one handed back-spring to dodge a third light beam. She snapped off a Piercing Shot when she landed, but the floating cat merely dodged it in the same manner it had Lance's bullet.

The cat stared impassively at the four humans before its muzzle twisted in a mocking smile, " _These are the best fighters your disgusting species has to offer? Pathetic._ " With the insult still echoing in the party's minds, the glowing cat disappeared in a flash of light, leaving behind two floating blue crystals with runic snowflakes etched into their surfaces to deal with the wounded party.

Matt let out an uncharacteristic and almost feral growl, causing the two women to jump slightly, "Natalie, see to Lance; Anna and I will take care of these ice cubes."

Natalie glanced over to Anna, who was still quite pale, but the archer nodded, "Lance needs as much help as he can get right now, we'll deal with these two."

The mage turned and ran over to their fallen friend, staff glowing as she worked on healing his wounds. " _If only we hadn't just fought that huge golem, I'd have more than enough power to heal Lance and help fight,_ " Natalie thought, blinking back tears as she healed a nasty magic burn along Lance's side. The gunner's protective armor had been burned through by the powerful holy magic and didn't repair the way it normally would have from healing.

Matt slammed his sword into the ground and a column of fire engulfed one of the Blue Crystals, melting it with a hiss of steam. The swordsman glared with icy blue eyes at the remaining puddle. At the same time, Anna launched another one of her new spark arrows at the second Blue Crystal. The monster didn't quite die, but lightning crackled over its surface, stunning the creature long enough for Matt to slice it in half with a blindingly fast slash.

Silence fell over the cave once more and the barrier blocking the exit vanished with a flash. Matt led the way over to where Natalie was still healing Lance, and stood off to the side with his arms crossed and his face set in a stony scowl. Anna stood just behind him watching in concern as the heavenly white glow of Natalie's magic faltered before fading out completely. Matt's expression melted into concern. Lance's face was still twisted with pain, but the magic burns had been healed.

Natalie panted and sat back, "I don't have any magic left. Anna, can you finish up?"

Anna wordlessly pulled out her ocarina and played the healing melody. Lance's pained features eased and he opened his eyes to stare at the ring of worried faces hovering over him. He blinked a few times before he accepted the hand Matt offered him and was pulled to his feet. He swayed as his head swam, but was steady again after a few seconds.

What was that glowing figure just now? We couldn't even hit it, and its light magic packs way more punch than anything I've ever seen, short of Natz's Judgement." Lance asked wide-eyed.

Matt shook his head, "And it didn't even bother attacking us directly, as if it were just messing around with us."

Anna swallowed heavily, "I think I know what that was. We better hurry to where the Whitefall Jewel is at."

Matt helped Natalie up and the shell-shocked and battered party finally made their way out of the Crystal Caverns into the drifting snow of Whitefall Town.


	10. Chapter Ten

Matt led their group out of the cave and the four stood for a moment, blinking to adjust from the drastic change from the darkness of inside the cave to the blinding brightness of the mid afternoon sun shining off of the snow covered Whitefall Town. The swordsman turned to face his battered companions. Anna and Natalie both looked pale from mana exhaustion; Anna was still wearing Lance's Officer Coat. Lance was swaying on his feet and shivering with his torn army jacket flapping in the wind.

A small frown formed on Matt's face at the state of his friends, "So, which way is it to the altar, Anna? The sooner we check on the Jewel here, the sooner we can get-" the rest of Matt's sentence was cut off by a flying ball of blue fur hitting the swordsman in the chest and sending him into a snow drift. The other three stared in shock at where Matt had been standing before Natalie ran forward to check the Matt-shaped hole in the snow. Muffled noises were heard and a clump of the snowy outline fell inward.

Peering down, the mage's tense shoulders slumped in relief and she waved back at Lance and Anna, "It's just NoLegs." The other two sighed in relief.

Baffled, Anna looked at Lance, "How'd he know where to find us?" Lance merely shrugged and crossed his arms in an attempt to contain a violent shudder. Anna frowned in concern, seeing Lance's jaw clench to prevent his teeth from chattering. The ranger shrugged out of the black coat she was borrowing and held it out to the shivering gunner, "Here, you need something else to wear before you get sick. My clothes are dry now, so I'll be fine until we get to the inn." She blushed lightly, "Thanks for lending it to me."

Lance opened his mouth, about to claim to be fine, but realized that it would be an all-too obvious lie and shut it again. Mumbling an awkward, "You're welcome," he accepted the black coat, and pulled it on over his torn army jacket, his shivering began subsiding almost immediately with the added insulation.

By this point, Matt had sat up, his face just peeking over the edge of the snowdrift NoLegs had knocked him into with said cat perched and happily purring on his shoulder. The swordsman had clumps of snow sticking to his hair and a huge grin on his face. Matt reached up and rubbed NoLegs' head before he began to rise to his feet. The happy grin on his face morphed into a pained grimace that only lasted for a split second before he wiped it away, and hoped no-one noticed. He stood up and leaned casually on his right leg, looking over at Anna with another grin, "I see you gave Lance his coat back. Now, let's go check on that Jewel!" He gestured for Anna to lead the way. " _Looks like no-one noticed,_ " Matt thought with relief. A cough from his left caused him to stiffen.

"Hang on a second," Natalie's voice was sharp which caused Lance and Anna to turn back in confusion. "You're injured, Matt. Why didn't you say so sooner?" Matt's wide-eyed guilty look caused the mage to scowl. Natalie scanned the swordsman's posture and mentally reviewed the brief moment when Matt stood up before speaking again, "It's your left leg, isn't it? Did I miss something from when you crashed into the wall earlier?" She glared at him when he gave her a nervous smile and opened his mouth, "And don't try to say 'it's nothing'." His mouth snapped shut again.

Matt looked over at Lance and Anna for help, but Anna was watching him with a worried look while Lance merely gave him an amused smirk and tilted his head towards the mage who was getting ready to blow up as if to say: " _Hey,_ you _set off the crazy healer, not me. Now you have about five seconds to apologize before she explodes. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the show."_ No help there. Matt turned back to Natalie, who was still glaring at him, and decided it would be easier just to fess up now.

Heaving a massive, resigned sigh, Matt gave in, "It was during the fight with the weird cat-thing. It can definitely wait until we're at the inn, though, okay?" Natalie's face was still stormy, but she gave him a sharp nod and turned to Anna who finally led the way to the altar.

The four rounded a small group of evergreens to see a large stump decorated with paper talismans. There was a small notch hollowed out of the top where an object had once sat. Anna stiffened in dismay before slumping. She turned to the other three standing behind her and said in a flat voice, "It's already been taken. We were too slow."

Natalie blinked in surprise, "Whoever did this must be pretty fast to get here before us, considering they left Greenwood just before we did."

By this point Lance was very tired, very hungry, very cold, and very sore, which led to being very snappish, "I think it's about time you told us what these Jewels do. What kind of 'great calamity' are we talking about? And it had better be worse than, say, a bunch of furry slimes dying suddenly."

Anna recoiled slightly at Lance's sudden irritation, but it didn't take long for her own exhaustion to make her snap back, "It'll be a lot worse than that!"

Matt decided it was time to intervene before they started a huge fight, "Calm down, you two. Let's go to the inn, get some food, and then Anna can tell us about her village's legend. Okay?"

Lance scowled, but stepped back. Anna shot him one final glare before turning to guide them to the inn. Once inside, the ranger walked right up to the counter to pay for two rooms and whatever they had for food that was hot and readily available. The innkeeper gave a small bow, handed over the keys, and motioned for their group to take a seat at one of the many round tables near the fireplace before vanishing into the kitchen to get their food.

Anna stalked over to a table right next to the fire place and plunked down in a chair, burying her face in her arms on the wooden surface of the table. The three standing just inside the doorway glanced at each other before following her; NoLegs settled down under the table, curled at Matt's feet. The inn was silent apart from the cracks and pops coming from the fire burning merrily in the hearth. There were no patrons at the moment as it was too early for people to be seeking rooms just yet. The heat emanating from the flames, coupled with the dim, but warm lighting, made for a cozy atmosphere. A moment later, a young serving girl strode out of the kitchen carrying four bowls of steaming meat stew and four mugs of hot apple cider on a large platter. She set them down on the table with a quiet, "Enjoy," before slipping back to the kitchen.

Lance, Matt, and Natalie immediately dug into their stew with soft murmurs of appreciation. Anna kept her head in her arms for a few more moments until Matt asked her if she was planning on eating hers, mentioning that he would be happy to help her eat it, if she wasn't hungry. The subtle warning caused Anna to finally sit upright to eat. Despite her hunger, the ranger just picked at the hearty stew for a few minutes before finally eating. The others were finished with their meals long before Anna and sipped quietly at their warm cider. Anna set her spoon down in her now empty bowl took a deep breath. The other three watched her, noting her tense posture and shadowed expression.

"Alright, some of this stuff may be hard to believe, but if it's true, there's big trouble coming. Our legends go like this: 'In the beginning, there was a single divine being. Her name was Godcat. But Godcat was lonely, so she created cats in her own image, and gave them dominion over the land, and over all other creatures.'"

Lance interrupted the story to sarcastically scoff, "You're saying that a cat created the world for more cats?! This sounds like some insane bedtime story."

Natalie threw her napkin at him, "Shh, let her continue! This might have something to do with that glowing cat from earlier."

Anna hardly seemed to notice the interruption, "'Godcat created all cats, and for thousands of years, cats ruled the earth. They built great civilizations and had developed advanced technology. But they eventually became too friendly with humans.'" She ignored a skeptical snort from Lance, her voice lowering as she continued, "'Godcat was jealous of this new alliance, of cats and humans. She destroyed all that the cats had built. Godcat's greatest creation was no longer worthy of Her image, so She took away their arms and legs, and that's how they have remained to this day.'"

Matt's jaw dropped, "So that's why cats don't have legs?!" He slid back to address the cat under the table, "NoLegs, I'm so sorry to hear about your abusive creator." To which NoLegs merely gave him a bright meow.

Anna gave a half smile at the exchange before it melted away, "'Godcat then departed from this world, and they say She left behind only these three Jewels. For generations, humans have protected the Jewels and kept them apart from each other, as they feared Godcat would return if the Jewels were ever brought together again.'" A log snapped in half with a loud _crack_ and crumbled to embers at the story's conclusion.

Matt leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful look, "So we have to stop Godcat from being revived then, since She'll probably destroy the world again?" Lance was still looked skeptical

Anna shifted, "Surely you guys have seen ancient ruins on your travels, right? Ruins full of statues of cats? This could all be true."

Natalie's eyes widened, "Oh yeah, that's right!" She turned to face Lance and Matt, "Remember those old ruins we passed through in the desert on our way to defeat Akron? They were full of cats! So that glowing cat earlier was Godcat, or at least a piece of Her?"

Lance frowned thoughtfully before shrugging, "I don't really know what to make of all of this. What I do know, is that we need some warmer clothing and I would like to sleep." He shot a smirk towards Matt, "And I do believe Matt has an injury that he's been hiding from you, Natz." His smirk broadened into a grin at Matt's groan.

One look at Natalie's suddenly angry face was all it took for the swordsman to throw his hands up in surrender before leaning down to roll up his left pant leg. A long, angry-looking magic burn running from his ankle to his knee was revealed. Natalie's face fell as she realized he had gotten it from protecting her from Godcat's attack. She gently prodded the wound with one finger, apologizing when Matt let out a small, pained hiss before she held her hand lightly against it and cast Heal. Matt breathed a sigh of relief as the burning ache faded with the healing spell then yelped as Natalie smacked his leg.

"That's for keeping quiet about the injury!" Natalie fumed. Matt shrank back at her glower, "If you're going to jump in front of attacks meant for me, the least you could do is _tell_ me when you get hurt."

Matt gave her a nervous, placating smile, "Hey, that's my job: Meatshield, remember?" Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say as Natalie swelled up like a balloon. Matt scrunched down even further in his seat.

"Not telling your designated party healer about an injury is _not_ part of the job description! How do you think it makes me feel when you are silently hurting from something meant for _me_ , especially when _I_ can do something to help?" Natalie's voice was rising.

Anna piped up, "Don't be too hard on him, Natalie. He probably saw you were tired and didn't want to worry you. Besides, the whole thing is kinda my fault. You all wouldn't have been in that fight if you hadn't been escorting me." The ranger flinched back as Natalie's sparking blue eyes snapped over to her, and she missed the surprised, slightly concerned, look Lance sent her way.

" _He_ should know better by now, so don't try to defend him," Natalie snapped before turning her glare back on Matt, who was sliding his chair back in preparation of bolting from the room.

Lance chuckled and stood up with a stretch, "I'm going to lie down for a while, maybe go to sleep; it's late enough now, after all."

The comment was enough to derail Natalie's ire as she turned, surprised, to stare out the window. Sure enough, the sky was just turning a brilliant golden color and a few travelers were making their way towards the inn. Dinner, the legend, and yelling at Matt had taken a surprising amount of time. Anna handed Lance the key to the guy's room and Natalie the girl's key. The mage's jaw cracked in a sudden yawn. She turned to Matt with one final glare, "You're lucky I'm tired, buster. Don't do it again." Matt swiftly nodded an empathetic agreement.

"I'm going to go look through the shops for some warmer clothing for us. I'll be back in a little while." Anna said standing up. "No, no, go get some rest," she said when Natalie made to follow her. The mage shrugged and watched as Anna deftly caught the money pouch Matt tossed to her before she headed out the door. A cold wind blew through the room at her exit, causing the fire to flare up.

As soon as the inn door clicked shut, Lance turned to Matt and Natalie, "I think she's feeling guilty."

The other two blinked in surprise, "Are you sure? What could she possibly be feeling guilty about?" Matt asked.

Natalie's surprise morphed into a sly grin, "More to the point: it's unlike you to notice—much less comment—on the fact."

Lance ignored the mage's remark and answered Matt's questions, "Yeah, didn't you notice how she tried to claim it was her fault we got hurt?" The grin on the Natalie's face broadened.

Matt frowned in thought, "So, what, do we follow her and apologize for getting hurt?"

The grinning mage spoke up with laughing sparkling in her blue eyes, "We should send Lance to apologize for us." Natalie's mirth subsided some at the fierce scowl Lance threw her way, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I think let her be for now, and I'll talk to her when she gets back; sound good?"

Matt nodded and Lance shrugged. With the matter settled, the three made their way upstairs for some much needed rest.

* * *

Anna slowly walked through town, heading for the armor shop. Snow crunched under her feet with every step, and the setting sun painted the picturesque town a pale purple and sparkled in the massive icicles hanging off of the eves of buildings. Very few people were on the paths anymore, having already retreated to warm homes and inns for the night, which was good for the stressed ranger. Now that she was away from the other three, she let her shoulders slump and her expression reveal the guilt she felt at how much trouble she had been to Matt and the others. " _Three people—friends, I suppose I can say, now—almost got killed escorting me today. Maybe I should just split now and save them the trouble and awkwardness of having to find some way to say they don't want to help me,_ " Anna thought glumly then looked down at the money pouch she was carrying and sighed. " _Crap, I can't run off with all their gold and certainly not after I made such a fuss about_ them _stealing._ "

Reaching the single story shop, Anna opened the door and heard the small tinkle of a bell overhead announce the presence of a customer. The shop keeper, an older man came out from the back to greet her. Smiling kindly, he asked if she was looking for anything in particular.

Anna blinked and looked up in slight surprise at the sudden voice before shaking her head with a sheepish expression at the patient look she was receiving, "Sorry, and yes. Do you have any armor good for fighting in the cold around here? I need two sets for girls and two sets for guys."

The man brightened at the thought of such a large purchase and waved Anna over to the far corner where he had a display set up, "I have some very nice mammoth fur armor in stock right now. It'll keep you and your friends warm and dry as well as defend you from most physical attacks."

Anna moved over to look at the two mannequins showcasing the armor. It was made from the dark brown, shaggy fur of a Wooly Mammoth and just looking at the thick fur made Anna feel warmer. She glanced down at the price before smiling and turning back to the expectant shop keep, "I'll take it." She then proceeded to count out the required gold as the man wrapped up four sets of the armor for her to take with her. She bid the store owner a good evening, walked out, and turned to the weapon shop next door.

Juggling the bulky packages in her arms, Anna managed to open the door and walked inside. Immediately she was surrounded by blades, bows and staves of several kinds. A young woman was sitting on the counter, reading a magazine advertising all of the latest weapons that had been released recently. She looked up and smiled a welcome to Anna before becoming reabsorbed in the catalog. Anna set the armor down and wandered over to the archery section. The store owner finally spoke up, "Can I help you find what you're looking for?"

Anna smiled back, "Maybe: I'm not sure what I want, yet. Something with added fire damage, I guess. Or maybe lightning?" She glanced sadly over her shoulder at her trusty Sky Feather, "I can only carry one, so I guess I'll need to sell this one first." She looked back up when the young woman let out a small laugh.

"No need to do that! I have some nifty Adventure Pouches you can buy to keep all of your extra weapons and armor. All of the stuff with none of the bulk or weight!"

Anna blinked for a second before her face split into a big grin, "Really? How does that work and how much do they cost?"

The woman beckoned her over to the counter and pulled out a small brown, drawstring satchel. She pulled out a simple iron sword from behind the counter and stuffed it into the bag. The sword was swallowed up, and, to prove her earlier point, the owner tossed the bag up in the air and caught it a few times. She grinned at Anna's wide-eyed look of amazement, "I dunno what enchantments they used, but boy do they work! The only downsides are you obviously can't expect your enemy to wait for you to re-equip, so it isn't much good for in combat and if someone steals the pouch, they get all your stuff. Outside of battle, though, it's a great help. The price right now is one thousand gold per bag; they're much cheaper now than, say two years ago. They got a lot of unintentional advertising from the three heroes and now several wizards make them."

The ranger started in surprise at the unexpected mention of Matt, Lance, and Natalie and briefly wondered why she had never thought to ask where the heck they kept all their weapons before. Shaking her head, she pulled out her personal money supply and set 1,000 gold down for a bag. The woman counted it out and dumped the money in a large chest before handing Anna a pouch. The archer stuffed the sets of armor inside with a grin of satisfaction; no more strange juggling act to carry them back to the inn. A few more minutes of browsing, and Anna settled on a bow that would boost the effectiveness of her Spark Arrow, paid for it, and left with a smile.

Her happiness faded as she realized she would need to figure out what to do about slipping out without the other's catching her. After tossing a few ideas around in her head, Anna decided to leave before the sun came up the next day.

* * *

Anna stepped inside the inn and made her way upstairs to the rooms she had booked. She passed Matt just as he left his room to find more food and handed off the two sets of armor for him and Lance as well as the leftover money. He gave her a grin as he stuffed money in his pocket and threw the armor inside the door. A muffled curse was heard from Lance as the swordsman shut the door again, and wandered back downstairs. Anna grinned and knocked on her and Natalie's door before letting herself in.

The mage had claimed the bed nearest to the window and was staring outside while absently brushing her hair out. She twisted around at Anna's entrance and gave her a big smile, "How was the shopping? Did you find the armor we need?"

Anna pulled out the remaining two armors with a grin and tossed one ono Natalie's bed, "Yup, I just handed off the other two to Matt. He's heading down to eat some more, by the way."

Natalie laughed, "I'm not surprised; Matt values food almost as much as he values swords and loot. I see you picked up an Adventure Pouch, too. I meant to ask if you wanted to get one sooner, but it slipped my mind." Natalie carefully watched Anna, who had her back turned while she pulled her boots off, as she said, "Good thing you found something for the boys, especially Lance. Whatever that blast from Godcat was, it kept the clothing from repairing like it should have. Though, I suppose he could have just gone back to wearing his Officer getup again if you hadn't been able to find anything." The mage frowned at a brief pause in movement from Anna at the roundabout mention of Lance's injury. It looked like Lance might have been right. "Anna, you know we don't blame you for all of that, right? We chose to tag along," Natalie said seriously.

Anna swallowed and said as cheerfully as she could, "I know, don't worry. And I know you guys can take care of yourselves." She then pulled out the new bow she had gotten, and showed it to Natalie, "Check it out: I bought it at the weapon shop in town. I'm hoping the added lighting enchantment will power up my new Spark Arrow." Thankfully, Natalie took the bait and began telling her about what she could do to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of her elemental attacks.

A half hour passed that way until Natalie yawned which in turn caused Anna to yawn which caused Natalie to yawn again. The girls burst out laughing before agreeing that, maybe it was time for some sleep. Natalie put out the light, curled up under the blanket, and mumbled a sleepy goodnight.

"G'night, Natz," Anna whispered. She listened to her friend's deep and even breathing before she slipped off to sleep as well. She had to be up early tomorrow, after all.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Matt stood on an endless grassy plain. The sky was a deep blue with puffy, white clouds drifting lazily across it. The sun was bright, but a pleasant breeze kept him comfortably cool and he could hear birds chirping somewhere nearby; all-in-all it was a beautiful day. Suddenly, a giant roast chicken wielding a BBQ-rib club appeared out of nowhere directly in front of him and attacked him. Matt stabbed the monster with his trusty fork and the meat fell to the ground, perfectly plated. Matt grabbed a leg, opened his watering mouth and…

A sudden banging at the room door caused Matt to jolt into a standing position next to his bed, sword in hand. Lance, who was on his way to open the door with a _very_ disgruntled scowl, ducked under a wild swing and tripped Matt, causing the half-awake swordsman to fall back on the bed.

"This had better be damn important; the sun isn't even up yet. And I swear if it's someone playing a prank, I'm gonna glass this inn…" Lance grumbled running a hand through his messy red hair. Yanking the door wide open, and assuming it was some stupid kid, the gunner snarled a very irate, "It is _five_ in the _freaking_ morning _;_ what the _Hell_ do _-_ " He cut off in surprise at the sight of a distressed Natalie holding NoLegs tightly in her arms, standing on the other side, "…Natalie? Is this something that can't wait until later, because I'd really like to go back to sleep." He frowned when she shook her head, and stepped aside with a sigh to let the girl in. Lance waved her over to a chair in the corner of the room by the window, and collapsed face-first back onto the bed.

Matt had almost drifted back to sleep, half-listening to Lance tear into whoever was at the door, but rolled over to look when he heard Natalie was the one knocking. He blinked sleepily at the mage and mumbled, "Wassup, Natz?"

"Anna's gone," Natalie said quietly.

Matt's brow furrowed as his brain muzzily attempted to figure out what that meant, "Maybe she woke up early and went to get some breakfast?"

Lance's chimed in, his voice muffled from the pillow he had his face buried in, "I think you're confusing her with yourself, Matt." He rolled his face sideways, but kept his eyes closed, "Did you ask the night desk person downstairs if they had seen her?" He gave a drowsy amused snort when Matt, who was slipping back asleep, mumbled something about watching out for the rotisserie.

Natalie nodded, even if Lance wasn't looking at her, "I did, but only because NoLegs woke me up with a note from her. She thanked us for escorting her through the Crystal Caverns and said that she's going to head out on her own. The desk-lady told me she asked some questions about recent happenings around 4:30, gave her that note to pass on, and then immediately left."

A few seconds passed as the information sank in and then both Matt and Lance popped off their pillows to stare at Natalie in shock and say simultaneously: "She, _what_!?" The mage handed Lance the brief note Anna had given to NoLegs. The gunner scanned the front of the piece of then turned it over to look at the blank back before he passed it to Matt. The blonde held the paper upside down for a few seconds and stared at the inverted writing blankly until he realized what was wrong, and turned it over.

"It doesn't say where she's going is or why she left so early," Matt stated in puzzlement.

Lance stood up and began pulling on his new fur armor over the loose black tank and baggy pants he had worn to bed, "Stupid girl, I bet she thinks she's sparing us from getting hurt. Never mind that we already have plenty of experience saving the world and would be able to help her, or that if she runs into that stupid, glowing Catgod, she'll get killed."

"Godcat," Matt corrected absently while watching Lance. He wondered briefly why his friend was so worked up about Anna leaving. "Are you sure we should follow her? I mean, she wants to go by herself," he asked.

Natalie glanced between them, "We're going after her now?"

"So you're just going to let her go get hurt?" Lance spat at the swordsman. He focused on lacing up his fur-lined boots, before looking back up at them, "I'm going. You two are welcome to come along, if you want; if not, I'll catch up to you later."

Matt's blue eyes held Lance's red ones in silence for a few seconds before the swordsman grinned and declared, "Like I'm going to let you get all the loots without me!" and began pulling on his own armor at record speed before leading the way out of the room.

Natalie caught Lance's arm as he passed, "It isn't like you to get so worked up." The mage had an idea of what had caused it, though.

The gunner flushed lightly, but turned to hide it and muttered, "I just don't want any party injuries or deaths on my conscience." He then followed after Matt.

Natalie grinned, and fell into step behind him, "Lance? Conscience? I think I might faint from shock." Her grin widened at his typical response of: "Don't get used to it".

They descended the stairs to find Matt already shoveling the last of his plate of bacon, sausage, and toast from the breakfast buffet into his mouth. Natalie grabbed some food and wolfed it down while Lance went up to the counter to try and find out where Anna had gone. The gunner snagged a couple of pieces of toast on his way over to them. He raised an eyebrow at Matt, who was already halfway through his second helping of breakfast.

"Apparently, yesterday morning was when the Jewel was taken from here. A ton of tracks were found leading to a factory to the east, but they couldn't get past the door. I'm guessing that's where Anna's headed. The woman also told me that there are rumors that the last Wooly Mammoth has been spotted running around between here and the old factory. Not sure how true that is, since we're pretty far away from where we saw it on our way to Akron, but we should keep an eye out, just in case," Lance informed them in between bites of toast.

Awake, fed, and armed, the three friends left the inn and started east. The sun was just peaking over the evergreen trees surrounding Whitefall, painting the landscape a pale golden color. Fresh snow had fallen overnight and they could see a single track of footprints heading off in the same direction they were now heading. Anna had gotten a two hour head-start on them so they picked up the speed to a brisk walk and it wasn't long before they saw evidence that Anna was the owner of the tracks: a Giant Snow Slime lay dead with three arrows stuck in it. Ten minutes later, they found a cluster of white leaves scattered on top of the snow with a bunch of arrow scattered around them. Fifteen minutes after that, they heard the tell-tale trumpeting of a Wooly Mammoth.

No words were exchanged as the three friends broke into a run. They crested a large hill and saw a large building made of steel nestled in the valley below. The mammoth was stomping around in front of the structure, arrows snagged in its fur. Natalie saw a flicker of movement at one end of the building and pointed it out to the two guys. They watched as Anna clambered up a rope she had somehow gotten lodged in a ventilation fan that had frozen in the cold and slipped inside the factory. She pulled the rope in after her just as the mammoth slammed into the wall below.

"Peachy, not only did she run off this morning, but she ticked off a mammoth and left it for us to deal with," Lance grumbled to Matt.

His friend wasn't listening, "I bet mammoth tastes really good."

Natalie elbowed him in the side, "You just ate enough food to feed three people; how in the world are you still hungry enough to think about eating the _last_ Wooly Mammoth?"

Lance waved a hand in front of Matt's face causing the swordsman to blink back to awareness. "He's Matt, what were you expecting?"

The mage sighed, "Well, we need to at least knock it out if we want figure out how to get into that factory." Suddenly her eyes brightened, "Wait, what if we do what we did last time?"

Lance caught onto what Natalie was saying, "You mean beat it up until it listens to us and have it open the way?" He nodded, "That might work, let's do it. Remember: fire's the best way to fight it."

They slid down the slope; Natalie immediately launched a fire ball spell at the creature's hind-legs. Lance and Matt spread out to either side of the mage as the animal squealed in pained surprise and whirled around to face the source of the magic. Lance fired a Flame Shot as the mammoth stampeded past him, causing the animal to stagger sideways right into the Fume Matt sent its way. The Mammoth turned to face Matt and its trunk lashed towards the swordsman. Matt brought his sword up to block and his arms trembled under the force of the trunk slamming into his guard. The mammoth's trunk wrapped around the swordsman and lifted him off the ground to fling him away.

Lance and Natalie winced as they watched Matt fly through the air, anticipating his crash. Luckily, his fall was broken by deep snow bank and the blond popped straight out again, charging back into the fight. He looked unharmed, but Natalie called over to be sure. Matt ignored the call and slashed at the mammoth with a wild light in his eyes. Lance and Natalie watched in awe as the swordsman rained blows down on the animal. With one final, vicious cry, the berserker slammed the mammoth and the animal swayed in place before toppling sideways to lie wounded on the ground. His two friends gaped at him as he stood panting over the fallen mammoth, blue eyes darting around for more foes to slay.

"Holy Hell, remind me not to get on his bad side ever again," Lance muttered to Natalie. The mage made a move to step forward, but froze when Matt whipped around at the noise to stare at her, his eyes still lit with a dangerous light. Lance stepped in front of her staring the swordsman down, "Calm down, Matt; the fight's over." He held the stare until the light faded and Matt sheathed his sword, smiling sheepishly.

Matt raised one hand to rub the back of his head, "Heh, sorry 'bout that, I guess I got a little carried away."

Natalie waved away the apology, "That was amazing! I've never seen you—or anyone, for that matter—take down a huge creature like that practically alone, before!"

Lance nodded in agreement, "It was impressive, and slightly terrifying. I've never seen you look like that before, either. You looked…" he paused, searching for the right word, "crazed, I suppose is the best word for it. Are you feeling okay?"

Matt shrugged and nodded, "I was really angry and felt stronger for a little while there, but it's passed now. Maybe it's an enchantment on the armor?"

Lance frowned, "Maybe, I never felt anything, but it could be a random-acting enchantment." He shrugged, "Whatever it was, you made mincemeat out of that mammoth, good work."

Natalie had wandered over to the wounded beast and was healing it. She backed away and made herself as non-threatening as possible when creature let out a snuffling sound and heaved itself upright. NoLegs bounced over from where he'd been sitting out of the way of the fight and made a series of meowing noises at the Mammoth. The large animal trumpeted once in response before turning to the factory door and began slamming its trunk against it. With each hit, the door bent inward until the hinges gave in, and with a low groaning sound the door collapsed inward with a loud bang. The mammoth then turned to Matt, trumpeted one last time, and disappeared in a shower of pale-blue sparkles.

"It looks like the mammoth has recognized your strength, Matt; you can summon him now!" Natalie told the stunned swordsman with a smile.

Lance chuckled, "That, or it's sick of getting beat up by him and has decided better friends than foes." He turned to the now-open factory, "Let's go find Anna."

The three stepped inside the ruined doorway to find that inside wasn't any warmer than outside. Matt grumbled under his breath about how next time, they were going to adventure someplace warm. Natalie sneezed in agreement. There were massive icicles hanging from the pipes on the ceiling and frost covered the walls, machinery, and parts of the floor and the adventurers' breath hung in clouds in the air. In the middle of one of the frosty patches was a short track of footprints leading down the hall, deeper into the factory. A pile of metal and still-sparking wires riddled with pale yellow arrows lay off to the side.

"Well Anna can't be too far ahead," Natalie sighed. "She seems to be doing okay on her own."

Lance knelt down to sift through the metal, "This is just a reconnaissance drone. She should have snuck past it, there's probably a whole troop of combat-ready 'bots after her now." As soon as he said that, an explosion echoed down the hall.

They're heads whipped around to at the noise. Lance leapt up and dashed down the hall, leaving Matt and Natalie to sprint after him. They caught up to the gunner just before he rounded a corner leading to a set of double doors; the loud retort of a rifle sounded from the other side of them followed by a scream of pain. Bursting through the doors, the three found themselves standing behind three cloaked figures in a massive room covered in large pipes. The figures turned at their sudden entrance revealing them to be robots. The robots' cloaks covered any weapons they might be wielding, but the one floating in the middle had an ammo cartridge wedged in its hat while the other two had miniature swords stuck through theirs. The Gunslinger had three sparking arrows stuck in its chest. Anna could be seen lying on the floor just past them; her Thor's Hammer still clutched in her hand. Matt, Natalie and Lance forced themselves to ignore her for the moment, and concentrated on their enemies.

Lance frowned, "I don't see any rifles, but I know I heard one. My money's on the one in the middle having one under that cloak. Natz, try some lightning. Matt, we'll keep their attention; see if you can't get onto the other side of them for a flank." He lowered an aiming visor over on eye and fired a Sniper Shot into the face of the Gunslinger. It tore through the robot causing it to twitch sporadically, but not go down.

Matt lunged forward with blinding speed straight through the three robots, throwing a few slashes on all of them as he passed. Bits of their cloaks were shredded off to drift to the ground only to incinerate as a Thunderbolt from Natali crackled down on one of the Swordslingers. There was a strange static sound as it collapsed to the floor in a sparking heap.

The remaining Swordslinger turned towards Matt and dashed forward to attempt to impale him on the large numbers of blades that appeared from its chest, forcing the concealing cloak out of the way. Matt leapt backwards with a yelp but had only sustained a few scraps on his off-arm. The Gunslinger's cloak pushed aside to allow a large gun to pop out, aimed at Natalie.

"Sniper-cannon, hit the deck, Natalie!" Lance shouted. He watched as the mage threw herself to the floor just as the gun fired. Natalie's hair tossed as the air was displaced just over her back by the bullet's passing and an explosion rocked the room from whatever had been hit instead.

Lance fired a Plasma Shot at the Gunslinger, finally taking the menace down. Matt ran the second Swordslinger through and a Holy Blade Dropped down, finishing the fight. There was no celebrating this time as Lance sprinted over to where Anna lay on the floor, ominously silent, with Natalie and Matt close behind him.

Dropping to his knees next to the prone ranger, Lance placed two fingers on Anna's neck, feeling for her pulse. Matt and Natalie watched tensely, waiting until Lance confirmed the ranger was still alive before releasing the breaths they hadn't been aware they were holding. Natalie raised her staff as Lance carefully rolled Anna onto her back to reveal a bloodied tear just above her hip in the fur armor she wore; her unconscious face was set in a grimace of pain. A few seconds later and the hole in the armor as well as the blood were gone.

Anna's face relaxed and she let out a quiet sigh of relief before her face twitched and her eyes flickered open. She stared blankly at the icicle-covered ceiling for a few seconds until her eyes filled with alarm and she shot into a sitting position looking around wildly for the robot that had shot her. Her alarm turned to confusion as she spotted the three robots that had attacked her in mangled heaps upon the floor. Anna's shoulders stiffened as she realized what must have happened and she finally turned reluctantly to the three who had come after her with a guilty look on her face. The other three watched her with varying expressions. Matt was grinning at her. Natalie smiled in relief that she was okay, albeit there was a gleam in her eyes that betrayed her annoyance at Anna's disappearing act. Lance looked ready to finish the job the robots had started.

" _What_ the _Hell_ were you thinking, running off without telling us?" Lance snarled, his red eyes narrowed to slits as he glared at her.

Anna flinched back involuntarily at the gunner's wrath. "I didn't want to get you guys involved any further in this hunt for the Jewels. It isn't your mess to clean up," Anna explained quietly.

"We would have told you right away if we didn't want anything more to do with your quest, Anna, and I doubt could have forced us. If this is about what happened in the Crystal Caverns, I already told you we don't blame you for that," Natalie said.

Anna looked away, "You guys could get hurt again. Godcat could have easily killed all of us in the Crystal Caverns, if she had wanted to. I've only known you guys for a few days, but you're already some of the best friends I've ever had; I don't want you to get hurt, or killed."

Lance's scowl deepened and he scoffed, "And so you thought you'd go retrieve the Jewels by yourself? You can't stop Her on your own; I don't think anyone can. As for us getting hurt or killed, what do you think will happen if Godcat decides to destroy humanity?"

Matt spoke up, "Let us help, Anna. You're a part of the team, now. We can get through this factory, and whatever else, if we work together." He grinned, "Besides, we already have plenty of experience in saving the world."

Natalie could see Anna's resolve wavering "Please? Otherwise, these two will drag me back to looting stores again." She ignored the indignant looks Matt and Lance sent her way, focusing instead on the smile forming on Anna's face.

"And we wouldn't want that." Anna chewed on her lip before she smiled up at them, "Okay, you guys win; we're in this together-no more running off." Lance stood and offered Anna a hand to help her up. She grasped it and was hauled onto her feet and steadied until her head-rush passed, before admitting, "I'm impressed you guys caught up so fast; I left super early, I thought that would be enough of a head-start."

Matt grinned, "NoLegs woke Natz up after stealing the note you left with the inn keeper and she came to get us immediately."

Natalie nodded, "He kept meowing outside the door until I got irritated enough to open it for him, that's when I saw the letter in his mouth." She glanced sideways at Lance with a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, "Lance is the reason we left so quickly, though."

Anna blinked in surprise and turned to the blushing gunner, "Really? I thought for sure you'd be happy to see me go." Lance looked off to the side in embarrassment; his cheeks were a light pink, but he didn't say anything.

Natalie's grin widened, "Yup, he was all worked up and ready to charge out after you, with or without help. It was kinda sweet, actually."

Lance's blush deepened while Anna stared wide-eyed at him, "I was worried, that's all, okay? Besides, Matt's the one who so quickly took out the Mammoth you left for us to deal with." He scowled at Natalie, who continued to grin at him, "Anyway, don't we have a crazy god to stop? Let's cut the chatter and get moving." With that said he briskly walked to wait by the door to the next hall; Matt followed close behind him.

Anna turned to face Natalie with her own cheeks stained a light pink. "Did he really make that big of a deal out of me going off on my own?" She asked in wonder.

Natalie nodded, "I was actually rather surprised; Lance may spend half his free time looking at scantily clad women in magazines, but he's never bothered too much with any of the girls we've come across on our journey. He also doesn't usually care when people get into stupid situations of their own making, but he was in a huge rush to catch up to you." She smiled at the blushing Anna, "I dunno what it is about you, or what you did, but you've caught his eye. I don't know whether to say 'congrats' or wish you luck."

Anna stared past Natalie to where Lance was leaning against the wall and talking with Matt, his blush finally under control. She turned back to Natalie, "I've never had any guy seriously interested in me like that before; most of the one back in Greenwood were content to stay at home and farm or be lazy." Her face took on a slightly pleading look, "I need to think about all of this, let's focus on Godcat for now. Can you please not tease Lance anymore; it'll make things way too awkward for both of us."

Natalie blinked at the unsure look on Anna's face before nodding. The archer sighed in relief and jogged over to where Lance and Matt were waiting. Natalie smiled and though wistfully, " _I wish Matt thought about me like Lance does about Anna._ " Sighing, she joined the other three and together they made their way deeper into the factory.


	12. Chapter Twelve

The four friends carefully made their way down a long hallway lined with heavy metal doors. There were many labels and posters on the wall warning of toxic or flammable chemicals or to beware of electrocution. They had destroyed a few small groups of Helicopter Drones, but had seen no other humans, so far.

Natalie looked around with a small frown, "Where are all the workers? We should have seen someone by now, right?"

Lance glanced back over his shoulder, "They're probably in hiding and hoping their robots will take care of us. Factories like this are usually covers for secret and illegal activities." He gestured to a nearby hazardous chemicals warning, "Judging by some of the chemicals listed on these warning posters, they're doing some dangerous stuff."

"Like what?" Anna asked.

Lance shrugged and turned around again, "The development of high-tech weaponry. There are a few that could be used for bio-weapons, too."

Matt grinned, "Wandering through here reminds me of when Natz and I were working to take you down, Lance."

Natalie smiled, "You're right. I'm glad he's on our side, now." She nudged Matt's shoulder, "I don't want to have to fight another one of his fancy tanks."

Matt tried to cover his laughter with a cough as Lance sent an irritated glare back at them. Clearing his throat the swordsman asked, "And speaking of dangerous, high-tech weaponry, is your satellite laser up and running still?"

Anna's eyes widened and she stared at Lance, "You have a _satellite laser_?!" At his nod her jaw dropped, "How in the world did you get that?"

"Hacked it during my attempt to take over the world," Lance said with a nonchalant shrug. "I changed all the access codes, too, so no one else can use it. I don't know whose it was originally, but the logs said nobody had used it in the several years prior to my hacking it. I haven't fired it since we fought Akron, though; we haven't come across anything needing a blast that strong."

The ranger turned her stare on Matt and Natalie, "And you guys beat a guy with a giant space laser?" The two nodded with Natalie muttering something about barrier magic and Anna shook her head in disbelief, "He actually used it on you and you're still standing? That settles it: you three aren't human."

Natalie's laughter was short-lived as Lance stopped so suddenly that Matt walked into his back sending the gunner stumbling forward one more step. He let out a hiss and jumped back again, knocking Matt off balance. Anna steadied the flailing swordsman with a hand on his back.

"What's wrong, Lance?" the mage asked with a frown.

"Spikes," was his one word answer as he gestured at the floor.

The rest of the group stepped up next to him and looked down at the steel spines jutting out of the ground. The obstacle stretched out to cover the last bit of hallway before the door.

Lance grunted, "They stretch too far to jump over and they're too close together to step between."

Ann placed one foot on top of a spike and carefully pressed down before wincing and pulling her foot back, "Ow! It went straight through my boot!" She sat back on the cold floor and pulled out her ocarina to heal her foot. Once that was done, she looked up at the others, "There's no way past them!"

Natalie looked around and spotted a lever recessed in the wall a little ways back, "Hey there's a switch here!" She reached out a hand and pulled down on the lever. The spikes lowered into small holes in the ground and stayed down as Anna cautiously stepped forward again.

"Good work, Natz," Matt grinned. A whirring sound came from above his head and he instinctively dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a pair of copper-colored robots dropping out of a hole that had opened in the ceiling. "Not so good work, Natz," Matt joked before slashing at the nearest Copper Fish. His attack left a dent in the robot, but didn't take it down. Instead of being destroyed, a defense mechanism sent a small jolt of electricity through Matt's sword and up his arm. "Hey, not cool!" Matt yelled, strands of his hair sticking out from the charge.

"Thanks for the warning, Matt; I'll be sure to avoid stabbing them," Lance smirked before firing a Double Shot at the damaged bot. The two bullets ripped through the copper plating on the drone and its thrusters detached and flew at Lance's feet before detonating. "Kamikaze-ing after death seems like cheating," grumbled Lance, wincing at the raw skin damaged by the blasts.

"Something tells me that electricity might not be the best way to go on these, Anna," Natalie warned, eyeing Matt shaking his semi-numb hand. "They're hovering, though, so maybe…" A magic wind formed around the mage, tossing her orange hair before being directed in a wave at the remaining bot. The floating drone was sent into the wall, but hovered back into the fray, its plating heavily dented.

The robot focused some electricity into the hole on its front, charging a ball of energy to fire at the party. It never got the chance to fire, though, as a long note echoed out and a small tornado swept the robot back into the wall where it collapsed defeated, its thrusters too badly jammed in place to fire at the party before exploding. Anna lowered her ocarina with a grin, "I'd almost forgotten about my gust spell!" Matt walked over to the two downed machines and began prying steel plates and springs off of them to stuff in his Adventure Pouch.

"I didn't even know you had any spells other than Ivy and Renew," Natalie said. She turned to Lance, "Speaking of, do you need healing from that blast?"

Lance rolled back his singed pant leg revealing the angry red skin beneath, "Eh, it stings, but I'll live. If you don't think you'll need the magic later, then you can heal it now; if not, then it can wait." Before he had even finished speaking a soft white glow around his leg healed the damaged skin. "Thanks, Natz."

"No problem," Natalie said before eying the dismantled robots, "I hope we don't get attacked every time we flip a switch; that would be annoying."

**DDDDDD**

Four switches later saw Natalie yelling in frustration, "Argh, I am so sick of fighting these Copper and Steel Fish!" Her voice echoed down around the large room the party stood in and a door opened. A man in a lab coat peered around the edge of the door warily before spotting the party. His eyes widened in amazement and he opened the door further, beckoning the adventurers inside.

Natalie, Anna, Matt, and Lance exchanged glances before silently agreeing to follow the worker into the room. After the group walked in, the stranger shut the door and turned to address them, "I didn't think anyone could get in here while the factory was on lock down! How did you four do it?"

Matt chuckled, "Err, we had some help from a two-ton animal, that's how. You all need a new door, by the way."

The man waved the comment aside, "Never mind about the door, there are much bigger problems to worry about."

Lance's eyes narrowed, "Like what?"

"Like our top project suddenly going haywire, or the fact that the entire system is being hacked from an unknown source, or that our useless employees are being useless," the man raved, throwing his hands above his head, "take your pick!"

"All the other stuff aside, what's this top project?" Natalie asked. When the man looked reluctant to tell them about it she added, "Maybe we can stop it for you."

The worker sighed, "The Praetorian. It was the crowning achievement of this factory. It's a large, mobile weapon equipped with the best gear we had ever designed and is strong enough to take out two fully-grown dragons at once. Two days ago, a virus that swept through the core system of the factory, cut off all communication to the outside, and initiated the lockdown sequence so all the doors leading out are locked. At the same time, it powered up and took over the Praetorian and began firing at everything in sight." The worker let out a shuddering breath, "After that, it turned on all of the defense drones and traps installed to stop intruders. Most, maybe all, of our best employees have been killed already; the only ones left either don't know how to work any of the computers with any level of competency or are too lazy to try."

Anna crossed her arms and frowned, "Sounds like quite the mess. These three apparently bashed the front door in, and we've taken care of all the robots and defenses on the way here, so you can leave now." She sighed, "We're actually just passing through and are in a rush, so I doubt we can do anything more to help."

"Just passing through? The only other exit is in the same room as the Praetorian; you'll have to take out the weapon or sneak past it somehow if you want to go out that side," the man said. He fished around in his coat pocket and pulled out an access card, handing it over to Anna, "Here, take this, it will open any of the smaller doors in the factory leading to storage rooms and such. Take anything you want or need; consider it payment for the hassle you'll have to go through to get out."

Anna accepted the card and stuffed it into the pouch containing her ocarina, "Thank you and be careful leaving." As soon as the man slipped out the door, she turned to the other three with a groan, "Ugh, now we have to kill a death mech if we want to leave?"

Natalie sighed, "Just our luck, I suppose. I doubt we'll be able to break down a door in the same room as this Praetorian silently."

"Definitely not," Lance agreed heading back out the door. "Any well designed attack robot will be equipped with motion and audio detection, possibly even radar. We'll have to take it out."

The four friends turned a corner and found themselves facing double doors covered in hazardous chemical signs. A faint stench came from under the doors. Matt pushed one door open to reveal a series of catwalks over a pool of green ooze. An unspeakable and sickening smell washed over the party. Even Lance looked ill as he took the first step onto the catwalk with the other three hesitantly stepping after him; taking as shallow of breaths as possible.

"Ugh, that smell; I think I'm going to be sick," Natalie groaned with her face tinted green.

Anna covered her nose with her sleeve, "A whole pool of toxic waste? Yuck."

"They should just dump all this stuff in the ocean. We'd all be better off. No one likes seagulls anyway," Matt said with his nose scrunched up. Anna elbowed him in the gut. "Hey, it's true!" Matt exclaimed with an arm held protectively against his side.

A purple tentacle shot out of the toxic pool and landed in the middle of the party, separating them into two groups and setting the catwalk shaking. Lance and Anna were on one side, and Matt and Natalie were on the other. A large purple squid hauled itself out of the water onto the metal grating, dripping green ooze. Before it had straightened up, Anna had launched a Spark Arrow. The arrow landed between the squid's eyes and lightning arced across the monster's face, but didn't stick and instead bounced off of the creature's rubbery flesh.

"That is not normal," Anna muttered to Lance.

Lance grunted and fired a Plasma Shot at the monster.

"Hm, to eat or not to eat," Matt mused from the other side of the squid as he attempted to slice off one of the tentacles, only to have his sword also repelled by the monster's skin.

Natalie snorted, "I vote 'not to eat'; it just crawled out of a pool of toxic ooze." A crackle of energy formed around the mage and lightning dropped on the massive squid.

The squid inflated as it sucked in air before blowing it back out again in a smokescreen. Under the cover of the haze, it lashed out with a tentacle, catching Anna in the stomach and throwing her sideways past Lance and into the railing. The archer slumped there winded for a moment before standing back up. Just as she made her feet again, she was knocked back into the rail by Lance being sent careening into her. The two fighters sat there groaning for a moment before Lance stood up and pulled Anna to her feet.

"We need to do something about this smoke," Lance muttered, eyes narrowed as he tried to see what the squid was doing. The smoke was so thick he could hardly see Anna standing at his shoulder. A shout from Matt followed by a metallic thud and a gasping sound from Natalie was heard. Lance suddenly whirled to face Anna, "Your gust spell! Use it to blow away the smoke!"

Anna pulled out her Ocarina with a nod and blew on it. A wind swept through room pushing the smoke aside to reveal Matt leaning on the railing for support and holding his head; a trickle of blood ran down his face from his hairline; more concerning than that, though, was the fact that the two fighters couldn't see Natalie anywhere from where they were standing.

Matt blinked dazedly as the smoke cleared and saw Natalie's Crystal Staff abandoned on the catwalk in front of him. The dizziness Matt suffered suddenly vanished as he snapped his head around searching for the mage. Not seeing Natalie lying anywhere on the metal walkway or, thankfully, floating in the toxic pool below, Matt looked up at the squid. The horrifying sight of Natalie slumped in the squid's grasp met his eyes. A tentacle was wrapped tightly around her waist; pulling the unconscious girl towards the squid's mouth. All other thought shut down for the swordsman. Matt snatched up his sword from where he had dropped it and slammed it into the catwalk sending a tremor through the metal. Distantly, Matt registered Lance and Anna's sudden shouts but was more focused on the sight of Natalie about to be eaten as he channeled as much mana as he possibly could through his Heaven's Gate. Large spires of ice formed along the catwalk from the point of his blade all the way to the Squid. The ice spiked up all around the squid and sliced through the tentacle holding Natalie. Matt lunged forward to catch her as she fell, snagging the girl before she hit a spike of ice. Clutching Natalie close to him, Matt tumbled out of the way of a flailing tentacle and ran back out of range. He set the mage down near the double doors the party had come through before turning back to help Lance and Anna finish the fight. He took two steps before the exhaustion that came with using lots of mana hit him and he slumped to his knees.

Anna swore quietly, staring in amazement at the jagged ice surrounding the squid pining it in place for the moment.

"Be amazed later, Anna, it's using some kind of acid to get out," Lance snapped firing off another Plasma Shot.

The archer shook off her amazement and fired three arrows in rapid succession. She was mildly surprised as a fourth arrow made of pure lighting appeared and also slammed into the squid, curtesy of Thor's Hammer's enchantment. The monster's movements stilled as the electricity temporarily paralyzed it, but didn't kill it. "Damn it, why won't it die?" Anna cursed.

Lance shook his head and swiftly loaded six bullets into his gunblade. He leveled his weapon at the squid and unloaded all of them one after another at the squid's back; his weapon steamed slightly as the last bullet fired. The squid let out a high screech and flopped sideways onto the catwalk, finally dead.

With the majority of its bulk out of the way, Anna and Lance could see Matt kneeling on the ground a short ways away from where Natalie lay unconscious on the floor. Anna wasted no time dashing forward and leaping over one of the massive tentacles barring the way, ran past Matt, and skidded to a halt next to Natalie, pulling out her Ocarina once again. Lance followed close behind her, but stopped next to Matt to help him up. The swordsman blinked at the hand in front of him before taking it and staggering to his feet.

Looking over at the defeated squid, Matt laughed breathlessly. "Calamari for dinner?" he asked Lance, letting the gunner support most of his weight.

Lance snorted, "No thanks; I like my food to be not poisonous. We had enough of that last journey."

Anna was still playing her healing magic for Natalie. The first round of healing didn't wake her, so the archer started up again; a different tune filling her mind and coming out on the instrument. The healing glow was brighter this time and it wasn't long before Natalie's eyes flickered open. The mage inhaled deeply and immediately winced in anticipation of pain that didn't come. "Are you okay, Natz?" Anna asked anxiously as Natalie sat up.

"I'm fine now. I just thought I had a broken rib or two. I guess not since you told me you can't heal broken bones," Natalie assured the worried archer.

Anna smiled, "I think I can heal breaks now, actually. It was a different healing song this time, and you definitely had at least one rib broken."

"Wow, when'd you learn it and why didn't you tell us?" Natalie asked in amazement.

"I learned it about, oh, two minutes ago?" Anna said with a blush, "It just came to me sudd-" The girl broke off and put a hand to her head and moaned, "Oo, I hate that feeling."

Lance, who was still supporting Matt, spoke up suddenly "Think you can make it out of this room? I think I'm going to hurl if we stay around this stench any longer."

Anna nodded and Natalie stood up, grabbing her Crystal Staff from where it had fallen and then helped the archer stand up. The four then slowly made their way through the next set of doors. Lance glanced around the next area checking for any enemies. Seeing nothing he lowered Matt to lean against the wall before standing a little ways away to keep an eye on both hallways for trouble; Natalie helped Anna sit next to the tired swordsman.

"What's wrong with you, Matt? Do you need some healing?" Natalie asked in concern, leaning forward.

Lance was the one who answered, still facing down the hall, "He's not wounded; it's just mana exhaustion."

Anna piped up from where she sat, "You should have seen it, Natz; it was awesome! He practically froze the entire catwalk, along with the squid."

Natalie looked at Matt in surprise, "How'd you do that?"

Matt shrugged, "Dunno. You were about to get eaten by a huge plate of sushi and I just snapped. Don't ask me to do it again, though; I'm beat." Feeling recovered, he hauled himself to his feet and held a hand out to help Anna up.

Natalie went to stand next to Lance and frowned contemplatively at the intersection, "So which way do you think we should go now?"

Matt came up on her other side with an easygoing grin, "I agree. Let's do that."

Lance and Anna, who was now standing next to him, grinned as the mage slapped a hand over her face, "I was asking a questi-" She broke off with a sigh, "Never mind, let's just go left." She turned and started walking down the hallway.

There was an eerie silence as the party trekked deeper into the factory. Computer screens lined the walls here. Most of the screens were black, but a few held blue screens with error messages or had images of broken hearts displayed on them. Anna stopped to look at one that was flashing between a broken heart and a short message that apologized for something and muttered, "Creepy," before hurrying to catch up to where the others were gathered around a large steel door.

Lance was leaning over a terminal. "I think this is the Praetorian's testing room. Let me see that access card the guy gave you," he said holding out his hand. Anna passed it over and the gunner swiped it through a pad on the wall next to the door. There was a quiet beeping noise and a green light lit up over the door before something started grinding behind the wall. The steel doors slid open and a cloud of cold mist billowed out around them.

The four friends readied their weapons and stepped inside. The door slid closed behind them and a whirring sound was heard as the lock reengaged. They stood in a giant circular room lined with computer terminals. A massive opening in the ceiling showed that night had fallen while they had been traveling through the factory. Flood lights mounted around the gap lit the room and revealed a hulking black machine hooked up to the wall on the far side of the room.

The Praetorian was still and silent. Its black metal plating was accented with blood red orbs that doubled as extra defense on the joints. The robotic hand dangled loosely at its side, clutching a long, gleaming sword with a blood-red blade and an obsidian black hilt; a black shield formed the other arm. To the left side of the currently non-operating Praetorian was another set of doors with a heavy seal on them. Matt held a finger to his lips and began stealing around the edge of the room with the rest of the party followed close behind. Lance kept throwing furtive glances at the sleeping weapon; knowing that if it had been equipped with motion or audio detection, like he thought it was, then it was only a matter of time before it activated. His fears were soon founded as, with a strange flickering to static of all the monitors in the room, the red gems on the Praetorian flashed and the robot began hovering with its sword and shield held in front of it.

The robot moved to hover in the center of the room, ready to eliminate the intruders as it had been programmed to do.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

"It's awake. Get ready, guys," Lance warned moving to stand in front of Anna, weaponry at the ready.

Matt stepped over to stand next to the gunner, eyes locked onto the activated Praetorian. He had swapped his Heaven's Gate out in favor of a weapon with added electricity damage: the Golden Dragon.

Another flicker swept the electronics in the room and two of the metallic panels making up the floor flipped over to reveal twin towers covered in radio dishes flanking the Praetorian. A high-pitched hum emitted from the new robots and the party had a sudden stifling sensation.

"What the heck was that?" Anna asked.

Natalie grimaced, "They've siphoned us. We'll need to kill those two Dish Turrets if we want to use any magic."

"On it," Matt said before leaping forward to unleash a Quick Slash on one of the Turrets. The turret loosed a stream of lightning at the charging swordsman, but Matt nimbly twisted sideways to dodge and brought his sword down on the robot. The initial slash sheared off a few of the radio dishes before his sword's enchantment released a ball of electricity that destroyed the robot completely. Matt landed lightly on the opposite side with a grin of satisfaction.

Lance dashed towards the second Turret and stabbed his gunblade into its base before letting loose with a point-blank Double Shot. The blade and bullets ripped through the inner circuitry and the robot fell silent. The party felt the oppressive waves suppressing their magic vanish and Natalie immediately cast a Thunderbolt on the Praetorian, but it seemed to do little damage. The robot lifted its crimson blade and lunged at the nearest person with alarming swiftness.

"Oh, shi-" Was all Lance managed to say as he barely brought his blade up to guard against the blindingly fast slash. He stopped the sword from cleaving him in half, but the force behind the blade swept the gunner off of his feet and he flew backwards through the air to slam into the ground where he rolled into the wall. Lance groaned as he rose once more, "Damn, that was fast."

Anna fired one of her Spark Arrows while the Praetorian's back was turned and was astonished to see the robot slip to the side to dodge it. The weapon then turned to face the archer and a panel on its chest opened. Anna's eyes widened in terror and she fully expected to be gunned down.

"Anna!" Natalie cried and cast a Barrier spell. The magic manifested itself in front of the archer as a near-impenetrable red crystalline wall. The hail of bullets pinged against the barrier, but the wall held.

While the Praetorian was firing at the barrier, Matt came up behind it in an attempted to slice of the thrusters. The robot spun around to face the stunned swordsman, still firing. Matt flung himself to the side and a bullet whizzed past his arm close enough to tear a swath of fur out of the armor. A rifle retort rang out as the volley finally ended. Lance fired a Sniper Shot into the still open compartment and a grinding sound leading to a loud crack was heard and unused bullets poured out of the Praetorian's body.

"Well, at least he won't be able to shoot at us with a machine gun anymore," Natalie commented as she unleased another Thunderbolt on the robot. She frowned in concern as the machine zipped to the side and dodged the lightning strike, "Is it just me, or is that thing even faster now?"

Anna pulled her next arrow back to full draw and when she released, the arrow seemed to just appear below the face plate on the Praetorian's head. "My Piercing Shot hit; maybe it was too fast for the robot to react?"

Lance frowned, "It must have activated some kind of booster field. Hitting it with single shot spells will be near impossible, now." He fired another Sniper Shot and smirked when it slammed into the Praetorian's chest armor. "You might be right about speed, Anna."

"What about area-attack spells? I think I can manage a Thunderstorm; there'll be a good chance that at least one of the bolts will hit," Natali suggested, watching as Matt charged in with another Quick Slash that was deflected off of the robot's black shield.

Lance shook his head, "It won't be worth the mana drain. Stick to healing and defense magics for now. If it slows down again, then you can go back to using black magic." He winced as Matt was flung across the room towards a stack of monitors. The swordsman crashed into the computers and yelped as the topmost one fell on his head. A few seconds later and Natalie's healing magic had Matt running back into the fray.

Anna fired another Piercing Shot and cursed when it the Praetorian managed to dodge it, "The thing is too damn fast; we need to slow it down, somehow."

"It's too big for my weighted nets," Lance grunted as he deflected a sword swing. "We'll just have to wait out the booster, it can't last forever."

The next ten minutes were a blur of leaps, dodges, swears, and the clanging of metal. Finally the robot slowed back down to its normal speed. Natalie cast another Thunderbolt spell and cheered at the direct hit. "About time!" she grinned.

The Praetorian suddenly ceased any attempts of dodging or attacking and hovered motionlessly in the center if the room. Matt seized the opportunity and slammed his sword into the ground, channeling his mana into a Spark attack, grinning, as the robot took a direct hit.

"It's glowing. Why is it glowing?" Anna asked nervously.

Lance glanced up from loading his gunblade for an Unload attack. He scowled, "It must be charging power." Raising his voice, Lance called over to Matt, "Watch out, Matt: it's getting ready for something nasty."

Matt waved a hand to signal that he understood, and moved away from the Praetorian. A few seconds later and a red flash brightened the room as a massive laser cannon extended out, firing at Anna. Natalie threw up a hasty Barrier in front of the ranger. It held strong briefly, but then cracks began appearing in the red surface. Matt, Lance, and Natalie's eyes widened in horror, as they saw Anna close her eyes just as the barrier shattered. Mana swept over the party right as an explosion rocked the room and the three threw themselves to the floor as debris flew through the air from the blast. Smoke and dust obscured the impact site. The cloud swirled around the Praetorian as it hovered out, facing the remaining party. The screen cleared behind the robot to reveal that an entire section of wall had collapsed over where Anna had been standing. There was no sign of the green-haired archer anywhere.

Matt and Natalie stared in frozen disbelief at the pile of rubble. Lance's face was blank and his red eyes were hard as he pulled out his walkie-talkie. "Firing protocols all green. Orbital Lock established. Target acquired, commencing laser bombardment," The gunner said in a low chilling tone. There were five seconds of silence before the area surrounding their foe exploded.

Five beams of pure energy slammed into the Praetorian one after another. Explosions tore the robot to shreds before disintegrating the pieces. The very air pulsated with power and sound. Finally, the salvo ended, smoke filled the room, and silence fell. A wind from the hole in the ceiling slowly cleared the smoke to reveal the devastation. The damage caused by the Praetorian's laser was nothing compared to the complete destruction Lance's Ion Cannon wrought. Chunks of the ceiling lay in the craters covering the floor. In the deepest pit, the Praetorians blood-red sword was stuck blade first into the ground. Lance stood unmoving before the wreckage, dust swirling around his feet.

Natalie hesitantly stepped up next to the gunner and turned to look at his face. The mage shivered at the cold, dead look in his eyes as he stared impassively at what was left of the Factory's Secret Weapon. Natalie hadn't seen such an empty look on Lance's face since she and Matt had faced him down.

Matt came up on Lance's other side and placed a hand on his shoulder only to have it violently shrugged off. The swordsman glanced over at Natalie in despair before they both turned to watch the silent gunner slowly walk over to the rubble Anna had disappeared under. He stopped next to the pile of debris and simply stood there. There was complete silence for a few seconds as Lance stared at the crumble of wall before he violently threw his gunblade aside and let out a wordless howl of rage. He fell to his knees and punched the ground as his yell echoed around the room. Natalie came over and knelt beside him.

Matt made his way over to the pile and began shifting chunks of rock out of the way. A half hour passed that way, silent apart from the occasional grunt from Matt as he heaved slabs of steel and concrete aside. The swordsman was soon out of sight as he continued moving rocks. He had already uncovered Thor's Hammer, which he silently set aside, when he finally found Anna. Miraculously, her body had been sheltered from being crushed by a tent of steel. Matt swallowed heavily before grabbing Anna's arm to pull her out. An arm that was still warm. Matt's eyes widened in shocked disbelief, the importance still registering even as he scooped her up and scrambled back over the rocks.

"Natalie! Natalie, hurry she's still alive," Matt shouted as jumped down to land next to her and Lance. Lance's head snapped up and around to stare at Matt and the girl resting limp in his arms.

Natalie gasped and leapt up to join Matt where he was gently laying the ranger down. Anna's breath came in shallow rasps. The fur armor on her side, as well as the skin underneath, was badly burned. A large jagged cut ran down the girl's right arm while her left leg lay twisted at an unnatural angle. The mage swiftly straightened out Anna's broken limb before she held her staff over the badly injured girl and began casting her strongest healing spell.

Lance held his breath as he watched Natalie's magic wash over Anna. The still sluggishly leaking cut on her arm knit shut, leaving behind smooth skin. Next, the odd bump marking the broken bone in the ranger's leg vanished. Natalie's breathing was coming heavily by this point, but she persisted with her healing spell. Finally, the angry blistering of the burn faded until only a faint red mark remained. Anna's face twitched and the air Lance had forgotten he was withholding came out in one relieved rush as green eyes blinked open to stare blankly at the stars beyond the ruined ceiling. Slowly, Anna turned her head to stare dazedly at Natalie and Matt before twisting to the other side to see Lance. She gave a faint smile of relief at seeing them all okay before her eyes slipped shut and she passed out. Lance glanced over at Natalie worriedly.

"She's just sleeping; she'll be fine," Natalie assured Lance tiredly, smiling as Lance's face softened just slightly.

Matt stood up and climbed back over the rocks to grab Anna's bow. "Should we head back to Whitefall to rest, or keep going until we come across a safe area?" he asked when he rejoined them, bow in hand.

"I don't know about you, but I do _not_ want to walk back though this damned factory," Natalie sighed.

Lance nodded and stood up, Anna resting in his arms, "Let's keep going. We're almost out anyway; might as well rest once we get outside."

Matt helped Natalie up and let her lean against him as they made their way around the craters in the center of the room to the door. The damage caused by their fight with the Praetorian had malfunctioned the door's locking system and it simply hissed open as they approached. Stepping though, they found themselves standing on snow-dusted ground with rocky hills and dead trees not too far in the distance. Matt and Natalie led the way as they hiked towards the hills. It wasn't long before they were no longer stepping on snow, but on dirt and loose bits of stone. Natalie lifted an arm to point out a cave in the side of a hill up ahead.

After letting go of Natalie, Matt went ahead to check the cave for any inhabitants, monster or otherwise. He soon popped his head back out with a grin and beckoned them over. Lance nodded for Natalie to go first, following closely behind her. Natalie slipped inside the cave; Lance ducked his head slightly to avoid the low ceiling and followed her. Matt waited until they were inside before announcing that he was going to grab some firewood and stepped out into the night. Lance set Anna down before digging through her pack to pull out her camping blanket. He spread it on the floor and moved Anna on top of it. Natalie watched his careful movements with a small smile before turning at the crunch of footsteps announcing Matt's return. The swordsman arranged the wood and Natalie set it ablaze with a small fireball spell. Soon, a crackling fire lit the cave with a cheery glow and warmed the chilly space.

Matt dug out the ration bar Lance had given him outside the Crystal Caverns several days ago and munched on it; Natalie and Lance followed suit. Finishing hers, Natalie leaned back and closed her eyes allowing the warmth of the fire to wash over her for a few moments before Lance quietly thanked her. Smiling a bright—albeit tired—smile at him, she waved off his thanks and pulled her own sleeping blanket out before curling up under it, falling asleep in seconds. Matt smiled fondly at her before eschewing pulling out a blanket and simply flopped back on the ground to begin quietly snoring. Lance smirked at his sleeping friend before resigning to take first watch. The gunner leaned back against the cave wall near the entrance of the cave and turned his crimson eyes upward to gaze at the full moon, listening to Matt's quiet snoring and the occasional snuffle from Natalie.

A few hours passed with no sign of any monsters, Lance stood up and stoked the fire before he made his way out the entrance of the cave for a quick walk around to stay alert. Leaning against a large boulder just outside, Lance sighed as the stress of the fight against the Praetorian finally caught up with him. " _I was so certain she had been killed,_ " Lance thought with a shiver. A shuffle from the cave broke him from his thoughts. Turning to see who was up, the gunner was surprised to see Anna stepping out into the moonlight. "I'm surprised you're already up," Lance greeted her as she came to stand next to him.

Anna snorted, "Honestly I'm surprised I'm alive at all." She closed her eyes, missing the wince Lance gave. "I thought for sure I was a goner there. I cast Reflex as soon as I saw Natalie's Barrier crack, but I couldn't do any more than twist out of the direct path of the laser." She turned to Lance, "So who took the menace down?"

"I called down an Ion Laser," Lance said.

"Aww, I missed the giant space laser? Phooey," Anna pouted in disappointment causing Lance to let out a short, genuine laugh. She blinked at the sound. "Figures that during what will probably be the only time you use it, I'm busy bleeding out," Anna grumbled glancing at Lance. Any signs of previous amusement were gone from his face. "What's wrong?"

Lance's face darkened and he swallowed heavily, "I was so certain you had died. I hardly remember what happened right after you got hit. I know I called in for an Ion Blast, but everything else is a huge blur of rage." Anna's wide green eyes were fixed on the haunted look on Lance's face as he bowed his head, eyes clenched shut. "The next thing I know, Matt's yelling for Natalie, saying you're still alive." He swallowed again before murmuring, "You were so hurt…"

Anna stared at Lance as his hands balled into fists in an attempt to stop them from trembling. The archer was surprised that her brush with death had shaken him so badly before she remembered what Natalie had told her after she, Matt, and Lance had caught up to the archer at the start of the factory and her surprised gaze softened. Stepping closer, she hesitated before wrapping her arms around the distraught gunner's waist causing him to stiffen. Leaning against his shoulder, Anna quietly assured him, "I'm okay. I'm alive."

Lance wrapped one arm around her and mutely nodded. A minute or so passed before he stepped away to break the embrace. Clearing his throat with a blush, he motioned back to the cave, "You should get some more sleep; we need to keep moving tomorrow." His breath caught as Anna smiled up at him. Her green eyes caught the light of the moon and were sparkling while her bright green hair was highlighted with silver light.

Turning to head back inside the crevice, Anna called back over her shoulder, "You come and sleep too. I can set some wards before I conk out." She chuckled suddenly, "Whoops, I forgot I was supposed to teach Natalie how to do them. Next time, eh?"

Lance huffed an amused breath from behind her and watched as she set the wards at the entrance before curling under her blanket with a mumbled, ''Night, Lance'. Pulling his own blanket around his shoulders, Lance laid back on the stone floor and murmured, "Good night, Anna."

* * *


	14. Chapter Fourteen

The sun was already up and shining into the cave when Natalie woke the next morning. Sitting up with a yawn, the mage glanced around to greet whoever was up only to realize she was the first one to awaken. " _That's odd; Lance is almost always up before me,_ " Natalie mused as she stood up and quietly left the small cave. The mage inhaled a few deep breaths of the clean morning air and commented to no one, "Much better than that smelly factory! Now then, I guess I should wake the others." Turning back to the cave she mentally added, " _And make sure Anna's feeling okay._ " Stepping back inside, and intending to start with Lance, Natalie was surprised to see Anna, already sitting up, looking around blearily with her green hair a horrible tangled mess.

Anna blinked up at the smiling mage and said, "'Morning, Natz. Did you sleep okay?"

Natalie nodded before sweeping a critical eye over Anna, "Now, how are you feeling? You were pretty beat up when Matt pulled you out of the rubble last night. I might have missed something since I was pretty tired when I healed you."

"So I heard from Lance," Anna commented. "I feel pretty good for looking like I was dead. My stomach is still a little tender, but I can heal that myself."

"You already talked with Lance? When'd you do that?" Natalie asked in surprise.

Anna shrugged, "I woke up last night and saw he wasn't nearby so I went outside to look for him. He was keeping watch and we talked for a little while." She smiled sheepishly, blushing slightly as she remembered their conversation, before frowning, "I apparently scared him pretty badly."

Natalie looked slightly guilty, "I forgot about the watch last night. I hope he wasn't up for too long before you woke; though, that explains why I was the first awake today." She shook her head and her expression darkened, "Lance wasn't the only one you scared, although he certainly had the most dramatic reaction."

Anna's reply was cut off by Lance stirring awake at the sound of their conversation. Pushing himself upright, the gunner ran a hand through his hair and yawned widely. Looking over at Natalie and Anna, he nodded to them before balling his blanket up and scooting back to throw it at Matt. The blanket smacked Matt in the face which caused him to bolt upright with the impacting cloth still covering his head. The swordsman flailed around for a few seconds like a demented green ghost before he lurched to his feet. The other three winced as his head collided with the low ceiling of the cave and he yelped before ducking forward and pulling the blanket off. Throwing the cloth back at a smirking Lance, Matt rubbed his head and grumbled a "good morning". The four then packed up their stuff before exiting the cave.

Anna looked around outside while reaching into the pouch that held her ocarina only to let out a cry of dismay when she found it had broken during the blast from the Praetorian. "Man! That was my favorite ocarina!" Anna pouted. The ranger sighed as she poured the broken ceramic onto the ground. Natalie frowned in sympathy as she cast a heal spell on the girl to heal the remnants of the burn on her torso. "Thanks, Natz. At least it looks like we aren't too far from the quarry in Greenwood; we must've looped back around while we were hiking through the caves and the factory. We can get some food, resupply, and I can get a new ocarina there." She looked to the other three for confirmation and set off when they nodded.

Soon, they were surrounded by trees as well as stones. They had been walking in silence for the most part when Lance asked, "What's our reception going to be when Matt, Natalie, and I waltz into the village? I mean, we _did_ steal from them not that long ago."

Anna frowned, "I hadn't thought of that. I guess I'll just have to explain what the situation is and tell them not to try lynching you guys." She chuckled as Matt muttered a quiet 'like they could' and started walking again before continuing, "Just don't steal anything else and we should be fine."

Lance nodded as the entrance to the village came into sight. Anna was surprised to see they had actually stationed a watch, before rolling her eyes as they walked right past him and saw he was fast asleep at his post. It wasn't long before a villager recognized Anna and called out: "She's back; Anna's back!" which led to a bunch of people running up to greet her. There was a clamor of greetings and laughs before one voice rose up above all the others and asked, "Did you retrieve the Greenwood Jewel?"

The speaker was a young man named Michael, one of the only other people in the village besides Anna who knew how to fight; he was also well-liked by most of the village. Anna's shoulders stiffened ever so slightly as she looked over at him, "Not yet, I'm still working on it, but it won't be long before I get it back."

Michael scoffed, "It's already been two weeks since you left." He turned to the other members of the village, who were now frowning, "Figures a girl playing at hero wouldn't manage to get our village's sacred treasure back." He sneered as he looked past Anna to the other three, "And she keeps company with the thieves who stole it, too."

The gathered crowd, following Michael's lead, began to start yelling out accusations: "I bet she's how they got in!" "This is what happens when you send a girl to do a man's job." "Yeah, it shouldn't take this long to get back one thing, no matter what it is!" "We should kill them so they won't get in our way when we go to retrieve the Jewel!"

Natalie, Matt, and Lance were shocked at how quickly the people of Greenwood had turned on Anna. Lance made a move to step forward, but halted when Anna held an arm out and shook her head with her back still turned to them. The ranger waited until the yelling died down before she spoke in a quiet and cold voice that carried over the crowd, "You're all like starving, wild animals turning on a weak member to save yourselves; never mind that your logic is full of holes." Her green eyes were glittering with a cold fury as they swept over the now-silent crowd, "If I was behind the theft of the Jewel, I would never have come back here, nor would I have sent the goods stolen from the store back." Locking eyes with Michael, Anna's voice became even colder and she addressed the next part to him specifically. "I was the one who chose to leave to retrieve the Jewel one, because it was the right thing to do, and two, because I'm the best ranger in the village. Gender has nothing to do with that and no one-including you- was volunteering." Taking in the entire crowd once more she raised her voice slightly, "I know for a fact that almost none of you have ever gone beyond the Guardian's range of protection, so you have no idea how long travel takes, or what is out there trying to kill you. Tracking and retrieval takes time, even more so when you refuse to do anything." Anna gestured behind her at the other three members of her party, "Yes, these three stole from the store, but they had nothing to do with the theft of the Greenwood Jewel. I have already returned the stolen goods and they are now helping me find who did take the Jewel so that I can get it back." A magic wind picked up, swirling around Anna and rustling her clothing and hair as she finished, "They are my friends, and if any of you try to hurt one of them, I promise you: it will be the last mistake you ever make."

The crowd was dead silent as they parted to let Anna through. The other three exchanged concerned glances before hurrying to catch up to the silent girl. The ranger paused as she passed Michael, "I know you caused this scene because you're jealous. If you want to be the best then get out there and train." Michael shivered and backed away at her frosty tone. Anna led them through the village to her house and unlocked the door. Anna stepped aside to allow the other three in before following behind them and closing the door. The ranger stood there silently, back turned, as her friends watched her.

Natalie stepped forward and asked hesitantly, "Anna..? Are you going to be okay?"

Anna finally turned around and gave a half-hearted smile, "I'll be okay. Sorry about that, guys. I didn't think he would accuse me in front of the whole village like that."

"Is all of Greenwood that sexist?" Lance asked.

"Never mind that, is all of Greenwood usually this mean to you?" Matt wondered.

Anna shook her head, "No and no; well, at least not all of them. I think it was some kind of mob-mentality coupled with the fact that they all know the legend of the Greenwood Jewel and the fact that it's been gone for so long and I haven't gotten it back yet is making them scared." She shrugged, "Some of them are like that all the time. There isn't any rule saying 'only guys can learn how to fight', but the fact that I'm the best here, rankles the few that have any combat skills; all of whom are guys. Michael specifically hates the fact that I'm better than him." She sighed, "They'll probably be over it by the time I leave and will be cheering us on."

Natalie frowned, "Talk about fair-weather fans."

Anna waved away the topic, "Anyway, let's stock up and rest today, and we can head out to Lankyroot Jungle tomorrow; it's the quickest way to Goldenbrick Resort." She smiled then, "Now, how about we go get some food? I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!" She wasn't, but she needed something else to focus on.

Matt cheered and Natalie smiled. Lance studied Anna's face for a few seconds, seeing the lingering hurt in her eyes before nodding. Next destination decided, Anna tossed her gear on the bed, opened a drawer to grab her back-up magic instrument, a wooden flute, stuffed it in her Adventure Pouch, and led the way back outside. Locking her house behind her, Anna turned left and led them to the outdoor eatery. The scent of bacon and eggs cooking filled the air and Matt ran ahead to the counter to order. The other three got in line behind him and paid for some food before sitting down at one of the long wooden tables. Not much later two waitresses came out and laid their food out and Matt immediately began devouring everything in front of him.

Watching Matt swallow three sunny-side-up eggs at once Anna asked, "How the heck do you do that without choking?"

"Food could never hurt me!" Matt exclaimed around a mouthful of bacon. Having finished his plate, he began eyeing everyone else's food. Lance and Natalie caught his longing stares and slid their plates further away; Anna, who was not actually all that hungry, shoved her remaining food over to the pouting swordsman with a grin and a roll of her eyes. "Yes, more bacon!" Matt shouted and began shoveling her food in his mouth too.

Anna leaned on elbow on the table and silently watched with a smile as Natalie smacked Matt's hand away from her plate. She laughed when Matt tried the same thing on Lance only to hastily retreat as the gunner raised one eyebrow, pulled a hand-bomb out and set it on the table within easy reach. A sudden call caused the ranger to twist around. The other three looked up as well when a young teenager with light-green hair slid onto the bench next to Anna.

"Hey, long time no see!" Anna greeted with a smile. Turning to her three friends she introduced the new girl, "This is my younger sister, Sarah." The other three nodded hello to her. "So, what's new since I left?" Anna asked turning back.

"Eh, nothing much; I dumped my boyfriend. He was too weak to protect me. He couldn't even kill a Slime," Sarah said.

Anna sighed, "You _could_ learn how to use a bow. You don't need some guy to protect you." Her exasperated tone told her three friends that this was a frequent comment.

The remark had clearly gone in one ear and out the other as Sarah turned to Matt, "You look strong. Will you be my boyfriend?"

Matt flushed a bright red as Lance choked with laughter. Natalie spat out the orange juice she had been drinking and glowered at the young girl. Anna buried her face in her hands in mortification and muttered something about 'being completely unrelated to this person'. Oblivious to the scene, Sarah just watched Matt's face as he glance around wildly with burning cheeks.

"Er, don't you think I'm a little, I dunno, old for you? You look like you're only thirteen." Matt said, doing his best to ignore the rising anger from Natalie on one side and Lance's snickering from the other. His heart sank as the girl just shook her head. "I'm already… seeing someone…?" He tried, glancing nervously at Natalie, who was glowering at Sarah and looked about three seconds from incinerating her.

Anna finally took pity on the flustered swordsman, "Sarah, stop harassing my friends and go find something useful to do."

"Okay!" her sister chirped cheerfully before bouncing off.

"Sweet Godcat, what a nightmare," Anna sighed as she watched her annoying younger sister leave. Turning back to the other three she apologized for the awkward interruption. Lance was still laughing at Matt, who was doing his best to disappear inside his furry armor. Natalie looked shocked and slightly hurt as she stared at Matt. "You okay, Natz?" Anna asked in concern.

Matt looked up and around in concern, but Natalie jumped up and waved both hands in front of her face, "I-I'm fine, nothing wrong here! Now, how about we go get some supplies?" Not waiting for a reply the mage walked over to the counter of the outdoor food court and bought some dried foods to take with them.

Anna blinked after the mage in confusion before realization dawned on her face. Grinning, she turned Matt who was watching Natalie. "Looks like Natz has got a crush," she said in a sing-song tone.

Matt finally turned his gaze to Anna in confusion, "Lance is the one who uses Crush."

Lance snorted as he stood up, "Not what she meant, idiot. Let's stop by the store and sell some of the stuff we've looted."

Winking at the still-confused swordsman, Anna stood up as well and joined Natalie where she was waiting by the food entrance. Lance pocketed the bomb he had set out and followed them. Matt stuffed the last muffin sitting on the table in his mouth before he ran to catch up to them. Natalie refused to look at Matt when he joined them, choosing instead to stare sadly at the ground. Anna frowned at the sad mage before leading the way to the store. Once outside the hollowed trunk that was the item shop, Anna turned to the others, "He's probably still mad at you guys, so don't say anything super rude." She gave Lance a pointed glance, to which the gunner merely rolled his eyes and nodded. The archer opened the door and they heard a small bell tinkle to announce their entry.

The middle aged store owner looked up with a smile at their entrance, before spotting Matt at which point his smile morphed into a scowl. "Back to steal more stuff?" He groused, eyeing the three former thieves warily.

Anna stepped forward and set a few gemstones from the fight with the Crystal Golem on the counter, "No they aren't. In fact, here are a few gems we'd like to give you to apologize for that." Seeing Matt open his mouth the object, Anna made a discreet slicing motion with her hand that was hidden by the counter. Matt shut his mouth again.

The owner of the store's face softened as he pocketed the gems and he grunted, "Fine, all forgiven; just don't do it again." Smiling, he rubbed his hands together and looked at the four standing in front of him. "Now, what can I do for you?"

Anna smiled back, "We've got some stuff we'd like to sell you." She motioned for Lance to pull out whatever he wanted to sell. The gunner set a bunch of miscellaneous loot on the counter ranging from more gems to weird carved chunks of black rock to horns and pelts of slain animals. As the storeowner looked over the items and tallied up the total, Anna turned to Natalie, "What do you say we go to the target range? I want to try new magic shots, and I can teach you about those wards?" At the mage's nod, Anna glanced over at Matt and Lance who were browsing the weaponry, "We'll be at the training field past my house. _Buy_ anything you think we'll need and then come find us, okay?" Lance waved a hand at them and the two girls left.

The ranger and the mage stopped by Anna's house to snag her bow, before Anna led the way to a bunch of targets lined up at one end of a long clearing. Showing Natalie the basics to setting wards, the ranger left her to practice and stood at the opposite end of the field from the targets and knocked an arrow on her Sky Feather's string. Pulling back the arrow, Anna channeled ice magic into the arrow and felt the shaft freeze before she let it fly towards the target. The girl grinned as she watched the arrow slam home near the center, before ice spread over the target. "It worked! Ice arrows will definitely be useful on lots of different enemies." She practiced with her Spark Arrow some more before she launched one that had a bubble of water around the head of the arrow. Grinning at the success of creating new attacks, Anna turned to see how Natalie was faring with wards, only to frown when she saw the girl just listlessly sitting there. Walking over to sit next to the mage Anna quietly asked, "Thinking about Matt's mystery crush?"

Natalie stiffened, "Of course not. Matt can like whoever he wants." Anna merely raised one eyebrow in disbelief at the defensive outburst. "I'm serious! He's free to like anyone," she sighed before adding quietly, "Even if it isn't me. Who knows, maybe he'll go out with Sarah?" The mage scowled as Anna burst out laughing, "What's so funny?"

Anna stifled her laughter, "Nothing, nothing; it's just pretty obvious he was not interested in my sister at all." The ranger shivered suddenly, "Thankfully. That would have been way too creepy if he _had_ liked her." Glancing sideways at Natalie, Anna added nonchalantly, "Plus he was kept looking at you during the whole exchange." She smiled at Natalie's hopeful expression, "Now, have you managed any wards yet? I see a couple here that might work."

The next few hours were spent discussing the best ranges to place wards as well as more efficient ways of channeling magic through weaponry. Summoning was discussed when NoLegs showed up out of nowhere and Anna practiced with that for a while. The sun was setting when Lance and Matt finally showed up at the field. NoLegs bounced over to greet them. Matt patted the cat's head while Lance glared at the cat until NoLegs backed off. Anna and Natalie joined the two guys at the edge of the field.

"About time, that took forever!" Natalie complained.

Matt shrugged, "We were booking a couple of rooms at the inn for us three; Anna's house doesn't have enough room for all of us. We'll meet you at your place tomorrow morning, okay Anna?"

Anna nodded, "Sounds good to me. See you three in the morning." She waved as her friends walked off, leaving her alone in the field before she finally let the hurt she had kept bottled up all day out. A frown twisted her lips as she sat down against a tree and looked up between the branches as the first few stars appeared in the evening sky. The sight blurred as tears formed in her eyes and ran down her cheeks. The depressed girl drew her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her knees. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs. An unknown amount of time had passed when Anna's head snapped up at the sound of a twig snapping in the bushes nearby. The ranger wiped her eyes and cheeks on her shoulders before standing up, bow in hand. Her reddened eyes narrowed as Michael stepped out of the bushes a wooden bow with a few leaves attached was in his hand. "What do you want?" Anna hissed.

Michael said nothing, but snapped his fingers and four shaggy brown cats armed with small swords and studded wooden shields came out of the shrubs behind him and flanked the archer. Anna nervously shifted and brought her Sky Feather up and nocked an arrow as two of the cats moved forward. The cats stopped advancing. Michael let out an evil chuckle and finally answered her question, "I'm making sure you won't get in my way." He lifted his bow, drew back an arrow, and fired all in one smooth motion. Anna swayed to the side and the arrow sliced past her face, nicking her cheek, and slammed into the trunk of the tree behind her.

Blood ran from the stinging cut on Anna's face as she lobbed a series of arrows up so that they came down as a deadly hail on her foes. Three of the cats died in the Arrow Rain; the last one's tail was cut, but it did not die. Michael skillfully dodged all the arrows as they fell and fired another arrow at Anna, "That was your best? How pathetic," the man taunted.

Ducking to the side Anna dodged the arrow, thinking rapidly, " _I don't want to_ kill _him, but I might not have a choice_." Suddenly, a wave of dizziness swept over the ranger and she staggered back against the tree. "W-what the..?" Anna mumbled as the world spun. She blinked trying to focus on the sight of Michael striding towards her with a malicious grin.

"How do you like my bow's poison enchantment, Anna?" the man asked, stopping right in front of the girl.

Anna slid down the trunk of the tree, her thoughts muzzy, " _Poison? I-I need help._ " Anna discreetly summoned up as much mana as she could and summoned NoLegs behind the tree she was slumped against. Praying that the cat would go find Lance and the others, Anna tried to keep her eyes open and Michael talking, "Poison… huh? Not... not bad… but you… won't get away with this… you know…" Anna panted, vision going black as she lost the battle for consciousness.

Michael snorted at her last words sneering at the unaware ranger, "I'm not afraid of you or your 'friends'. If anything, they should be afraid of me and of _my_ friend." He sighed in false regret, "Too bad you won't be around to meet Her. Goodbye, Anna." He raised his bow once more, ready to finish the job when footsteps pounded through the trees and Matt lunged out into the clearing, sword in hand followed closely by Lance and Natalie; NoLegs was held in the mage's arms.

Lance's and Natalie's eyes widened upon the sight of Anna collapsed against the tree with Michael standing over her, bow in hand. Matt's blue eyes flashed and he unleashed a Quick Slash on Anna's attacker. Michael deflected the attack with his bow and swept Matt's legs out from under him causing the swordsman to fall on his back with a grunt. The murderer made to run away, but a weighted net from Lance pinned him to the ground. Lance stormed forward to interrogate Michael, red eyes promising suffering, while Natalie ran over to check on Anna. Matt stood up rubbing his back. A flash of brown suddenly raced across the clearing and the remaining cat stabbed Michael in the throat causing blood to gush out. Lance sliced the traitorous cat in half and turned a cold eye on the dying Michael. Nothing was said as the man's eyes glazed over into the glassy-eyed stare of death.

The gunner turned to where Natalie was healing Anna. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked eyeing Anna with concern.

Natalie nodded, "There's no wound besides the cut on her cheek, but she's been poisoned." Lance inhaled sharply and Natalie hurried to reassure him, "It'll be fine, I'm cleansing it now."

Matt frowned at the carnage in the clearing, "What the heck happened? Why was Anna even out here this late?"

Natalie finished healing Anna and stood up with a shake of her head, "I don't know. Anna should be waking up soon so we can ask her." Even as she spoke, Anna groaned and sat up, shaking her head.

Looking around at her friends, Anna's eyes filled with tears of relief and she let out a shuddering laugh, "Thanks for coming so quickly, guys."

Lance knelt next to her, looking her over, "No problem, are you okay?" Anna nodded and he breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"What happened, Anna?" Matt asked.

Anna related everything from her breakdown after they had left earlier up to when she passed out due to the poison. Lance wrapped an arm around her and looked up at Natalie and Matt. "How are we going to explain this to the village? They already don't trust us."

"Just don't touch anything," Anna said. "The village priestess, Lana, has the ability to read recent happenings, but if you guys' mana gets mixed in it that can throw the reading off."

Natalie sighed, "Best go get her now before anyone comes across the mess."

The party nodded and Lance help Anna stand up, securing an arm around her waist when she swayed. The four set off following Anna's direction the priestess' house.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Anna's directions led the party to a small hut, in the same style of carved out stumps as the rest of Greenwood, situated not far from the village altar. The curtains were drawn across the windows, but the flickering light of a fire could still be seen. Moonlight lit the stylized leaf that was carved into the wooden door of the house. The only sounds were the chirping of crickets and a warm wind rustling the foliage of the village.

"Here we are. This is where Priestess Lana lives" Anna told the others. The ranger's face was still unnaturally pale and she leaned heavily against Lance. "'Best not to irritate her, by the way; Old Lana can-and will-lecture your ears off," Anna glanced around at Matt and Lance.

Matt shrugged before stepping up to the door. He rapped his knuckles sharply against the thick door before stepping back. The muffled sound of an elderly woman's voice called through, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Anna, and my friends," Anna called back.

"Ah, Anna, come in, come in! I've just made some tea."

Matt twisted the doorknob and motioned the other three inside before following and shutting the door behind him. The elderly priestess was hunched over a teapot on a metal cooker with her back turned to her guests. She had long slate-grey hair tied in a braid that fell down her back. The four friends stood there awkwardly for a few moments before Matt cleared his throat. Lana ignored him as she poured a cup of tea for herself and set the teapot back down. Lance tried clearing his throat next and finally the woman turned to face them.

"Cold season's started early, has it?" She asked with an arched brow. Matt had the decency to look embarrassed while Lance simply mirrored the woman's expression. Lana chortled at the gunner, "Ho, ho I like this one's gumption! Most young folk start apologizing right away!" Her expression changed to concern as she finally noticed how Anna was slumped against Lance, "Oh, my. You look in poor health, my dear. Come, come: set her down by the fire, boy. You with the cat, be a dear and grab a few more cups for tea from by the cabinet by the window?" Lance grumbled about being called 'boy', but gently lowered Anna onto a cushion near the fire as Natalie set NoLegs down and went to retrieve the requested cups and poured some tea for each of the guests. Lana thanked the mage, settled back in a low chair, and turned a shrewd eye on the four settled around her fire, "Now, then, what brings you to Old Lana in the middle of the night? Do you need healing, Anna?" The ranger shook her head and once again related what had happened from entering the village that morning, explaining that the heroes were not responsible for the theft of Greenwood's Jewel and that Whitefall's had been taken as well, all the way up to Michael's attempted murder. Natalie and Matt chimed in to fill in the part from when Anna was unconscious. The more Lana heard, the deeper her frown became. She released a heavy sigh, "I see. I must apologize on behalf of the villagers; their reaction was inexcusable. I have the upmost confidence that you will succeed in retrieving the Jewels. As for this assault, you came here to ask me to glimpse what might have caused young Michael to resort to such drastic measures?"

Anna's relief at the priestess' faith was clear from the lightening in her eyes. She gave a small bow from where she was seated, "Please, Lana. I don't think this was simply from jealousy. He looked," Anna paused briefly to think of the right word, "fanatic about something beyond being the best ranger in Greenwood."

Lana sighed and stood up, "Well, then, let us be off to the target range. None of us are getting any younger after all; especially not me."

The group returned to the target range, which had been thankfully undisturbed due to the late hour. The four cats that had been with Michael-as well as the man himself-were still strewn about the clearing, their blood staining the ground. Lana released a saddened sigh at the sight before she shut her eyes and held both hands before her, palms up. A white aura of light glowed around the priestess and Natalie suppressed a gasp at the waves of powerful mana that swept over the clearing with Lana at their epicenter. Lance's eyes widened in shock at the strength of magic the old woman possessed. Matt shifted slightly, the power so strong that even he could sense it. Lana's face was serene for a few minutes, but slowly her brow furrowed. Finally, she let the mana ebb away and opened her eyes.

Anna spoke up, "What have you learned? Have we been proven innocent?"

The priestess turned to the four friends with her face filled with concern, "In all my years of using this power, I have gleaned many things the world would keep hidden." She slowly shook her head, "Sometimes the scenes revealed to me are as clear as the winter's night sky. Other times they are broken images, like the reflections on a disturbed pond. However, never before have they been so murky. A great power conceals the actions that were taken here."

Natalie's face fell, "So you can't prove we didn't do it?"

Lana gave the mage a small smile, "While you and your friends certainly are strong, you do not have the power to obscure the writings of the world as these have been." She shook her head, "No, the fact that I cannot see what has happened here clears you four of any guilt." She frowned again, "However, it makes me nervous to think of what could blind my sight so well." She faced Anna, whose face had paled even further at the implications, "Please, continue your search for the Jewels with haste, child. I fear this may be the work of Godcat."

"Lankyroot Jungle is next, right? Let's get going!" Matt said only to be stopped by Lana raising one hand.

"No, you would do well to rest for the remainder of the night and leave at first light. The Jungle is not a place to wander in the dark," Lana cautioned. She waved her hand at Anna, "Besides, your friend is practically dead on her feet. You must travel not only with speed, but wisdom, as well."

Natalie laughed, "Trust me, Lana: you're wasting your time trying to get Matt to be wise." She ignored Matt's put out look.

The priestess smiled, "Well, forgive a senile old woman for trying."

Anna bowed to the old woman, "Thank you, Lana. We'll go first thing in the morning." She glanced back at the clearing, "And I'm sorry for the trouble we've caused."

Lana laid a hand on Anna's arm, "Do not worry, dear. I will send for some Idols to clean this up and tomorrow afternoon I will explain this to the rest of the village. You concentrate on your quest. Be safe." With that, the woman let out a cry that sounded like a bird call and three Idols waddled out of the trees to clear the bodies away. She nodded once to the group before turning to head for her home.

Lance turned to Anna, "You should stay with Natalie at the inn tonight. Who knows if that creep has friends waiting to catch one of us alone?"

Anna opened her mouth to argue, but shut it at the pleading look in his red eyes. She sighed and looked over to Natalie, "Is that okay with you Natz?"

"Sure, they only had rooms with two beds, so you can have your own," Natalie smiled. The four then returned to the inn and retired to their rooms.

**DDDDDDD**

The morning sky was overcast, making the already dim pre-dawn light almost as dark as night when the party left the inn for Anna's house to pick up her gear. She came out wearing a green and brown dress over brown leggings with her green hair once again done up in pigtails held in place with stylized leaf adornments and large red bow slung over one shoulder. Matt and Natalie had changed out of their fur armor back into their usual attire. Lance, as his army outfit had been destroyed by Godcat, wore heavy black cargo pants and a red jacket open over a white t-shirt with a faded picture of a yellow star with 'EPIC' in red text underneath.

As the ranger guided them to the exit of the village leading to Lankyroot Jungle, she looked up at the clouds overhead with a contemplative frown, "'Looks like it's going to storm today." She sniffed the air, "Smells like it, too. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow to start traveling through the jungle."

Lance frowned, "Why? I mean, we're surrounded by giant trees. Sure, a little water will get through, but it can't be that bad."

"Rain? _Pfft_ , like a little water falling from the sky will stop me! Let's go, Natz!" Matt scoffed and darted down the path a little ways with Natalie chasing after, shouting for him to wait up.

Anna rolled her eyes after them and turned to face Lance, "Yes, there are lots of trees, but Lankyroot is more of a swamp than a jungle. If it rains a little, then there won't be much change to our trip, but if it rains a lot…" The archer trailed off with a shake of her head, imagining the thick mud, swelled rivers and streams, and decreased visibility.

Lance tilted his head and stared ahead down the path thoughtfully before shrugging, "Two of the Jewels have already been stolen, we can't waste time waiting for favorable traveling conditions." He took a few steps forward before turning to wait for Anna.

The ranger's frown had deepened, but she followed all the same. The two caught up to where Matt was waiting impatiently with Natalie sighing at him. And together they set off between the trees. It wasn't long before the overgrown trail they were following narrowed to the point where they had to go single-file. Matt led the way, slashing through the thick vines growing across the path. It was during one of these swings that he knocked a large ball of sticks down and a low buzzing sound filled the air. Two Red Wasps and one Purple Wasp popped out of the nest Matt had accidentally knocked down. The Red Wasps dove at the party, stingers slashing.

"KYAHH! GET IT AWAY!" Natalie shrieked diving behind Matt and grabbing onto his jacket, which pulled the swordsman off balance, causing him to fall backwards into her and sending them both to the ground with matching blushes.

"Stop goofing off, you two!" Lance barked, firing a double shot at one of the Red Wasps. One of the bullets missed, but the other tore through one of the bug's wings causing it to bob unevenly in the air. The Purple wasp that was hanging back released a sparkling powder over the injured bug, healing the wing.

"I'll go for the purple one first, it's a healer," Anna said, raising her Crimson Dragon bow up and firing a Combo Shot. The three arrows all hit, setting the giant insect on fire, which ultimately led to its incineration.

By this point, Matt had managed to extract himself from Natalie and he leapt high in the air, brandishing his Heaven's Gate. He bisected the recovered wasp at the thorax and its two pieces fell to the ground, sizzling with the extra holy damage granted by his sword. Natalie focused on a point just next to the remaining wasp-so she didn't have to look at the enormous bug-and blasted it with an oversized fireball spell.

Lance watched the creature instantly incinerate with a raised brow, "Geez, Natz. Overkill, much?"

"There is no such thing as overkill when burning giant bugs," Natalie defended with crossed arms, pouting when Lance rolled his eyes. "Sorry 'bout grabbing you like that, Matt. Are you okay?" the mage asked. Matt simply nodded.

"I have to agree with Natz: wasps exist just to screw up your day," Anna grumbled, nudging half a dead wasp with the end of her bow.

Lance heaved a massive sigh, before motioning for Matt to take the lead again, only to stagger sideways with a grunt as a blur of black and white flew out of the bushes and slammed into him. The party whirled around to see a cat bounce back a few paces with a small sword and shield held before it. The cat was joined by two more cats, this time with brown fur. All three of them were hissing threateningly.

"Aww! Kitties! I love kitties!" Natalie exclaimed.

"I hate to burst your bubble of happiness, Natz, but I don't think these cats love you," Anna said, nocking an arrow.

"I love cats, too," Matt commented, before drooling, "Especially the way they taste…"

"That's about all they're good for," Lance grunted as he fired a couple of bullets, killing the black-and-white cat, much to Natalie's dismay.

The remaining cats sprang forward, swinging their dagger-sized swords in flashing arcs. Anna loosed an arrow, but yelped, when she missed as her target flattened itself to the forest floor while its companion swung at her leg, causing a shallow cut. Matt charged between the two of them his sword a deadly blur. A few screeches were heard as fur flew and the two cats were slain.

Natalie sniffed as she healed Anna, "Poor cats. I hope you find lots of catnip, wherever you end up."

Matt grinned as he lifted the black-and-white cat by its tail, "I dunno about those two brown ones, but I know this one isn't getting any 'nip because there's none in my stomach!"

Lance sighed while Anna planted her hands on her hips, "Matt, we _just_ ate and we're in a rush. Put the dead cat down and let's go."

The swordsman pouted, but dropped the cat and followed the other three further through the trees. A couple of hours passed and the party broke the tree line to come out on the edge of a river. The four slid down a steep slope to follow the water. A sudden wind rustled the reeds lining the bank and Anna frowned, hearing a rumble of thunder. She looked up at the dark clouds that could be seen sweeping across the sky and opened her mouth to suggest the party head back into the trees and away from the river before the rain hit. "Hey, guys, we need to-" her warning was broken off by a sudden explosion of river water that showered down on the party. A mighty roar echoed through the trees and a massive Blue Dragon was revealed. The dragon turned its head sideways, its enormous blue eye balefully glaring at the shocked party.

Lance recovered quickly and yelled, "Scatter!" just as the creature reared its head back and opened its massive jaws to release a jet of water.

The four scrambled in separate directions as the high-pressure stream blasted the ground they had just been gathered on, leaving a huge crater and sending bits of mud and stone flying everywhere. At the moment of impact, a bolt of lightning split the skies and rain came pouring down, instantly drenching the fighters. Lance began to load six bullets into his gunblade for an Unload, but cursed as he realized the rain had soaked the gunpowder, which would prevent him from firing. Meanwhile, Natalie launched a spear of ice at the dragon, momentarily freezing the monster's jaw shut. The extra weight of the ice forced the dragon's head to come crashing down onto the mud of the riverbank. Matt took the opportunity to slash the creature across one eye, shattering the ice in the process.

The creature's head lashed back and forth as it let out an ear-splitting screech of pain and rage. It lowered its head out of reach of danger and roared, saliva dripping from its massive fangs. Lightning flashed and illuminated the horrific sight of the dragon's face. Blood mixed with rainwater ran in rivulets down its scales from the ruined eye. The dragon's good eye glowed blue and a blast of icy shards flew out of its mouth, pelting the party.

Natalie flung a barrier to cut off the remainder of the blast. The rain was falling in thick sheets and the mage could just barely make out a flash of sparking energy as it streaked in the general direction of the dragon. " _Must've been Anna's Spark Arrow,_ " Natalie thought as an angry roar revealed that the arrow had found its mark somewhere on the beast. She made a futile attempt to wipe the rain off of her face as she stepped closer to where the roar came from, hoping to get a clear shot for a Thunderbolt spell. Natalie had a brief flash of the beast's neck as it broke through the curtain of rain and slammed into her. With a scream, the mage flew into the river. The water was slightly higher than normal, but not so high that she couldn't blindly snag a rock in the water to pull herself on top of.

Matt heard Natalie's scream and immediately looked around, trying to spot her through the heavy downpour, "Natalie?! Where are you?" He heard her voice call from the river, barely audible over the pounding rain. Wiping a trickle of blood from a cut on his forehead out of his eyes, he squinted in the direction her voice. Matt could just make out the bright red of Natalie's dress and he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw she was sitting on a rock. Another screech from the dragon forced his attention back to the fight. Another flash of lightning revealed that Lance had lodged his gunblade into the beast's skull and was grimly hanging onto it as he forced it deeper. Another Spark Arrow from Anna stunned the beast long enough for Lance to drive his blade deep enough that the dragon gave a massive shudder and collapsed sideways, dead. Matt heaved a sigh of relief and turned back to face Natalie.

"Nice work, Lance!" Anna cheered jogging forward to slice a few scales off of the creatures hide.

Lance planted his foot against the dragon's head and yanked his gunblade out of its skull. "Thanks, but the paralysis from your Spark Arrow is what let me finish it," he said as he let the rain wash the blood off of his blade. "He turned to peer over at where Matt was standing at the very edge of the water. Looking past the swordsman, Lance saw Natalie sitting on a flat rock in the middle of the river. "Looks like Natz needs saving," he sighed. He blinked in surprise at Anna's gasp and turned back to see a horrified expression on her face as she stared out at the mage, "What?"

"She's in the middle of a river during a heavy rainstorm, that's what! At any second there could be-" a loud rumbling sound, louder and more constant than thunder, rose up over the pounding rain and Anna broke off to whip around and stare upstream. Lance followed her stare and his red eyes widened in alarm at the wall of muddy water sweeping around a bend, coming towards them with alarming speed. "Matt, Natalie, watch out!" the Anna screamed.

Matt took a half of a glance at the water rushing towards them and dove into the river, swimming for Natalie. He reached the mage and managed to wrap one arm tightly around her waist right as the flash flood slammed into them. The two were immediately swept out of sight, caught in the floodwaters. Anna swore heavily as water rose around them and she snagged Lance's arm, hauling him back towards the higher ground beneath the trees. The muddy water was up to their thighs and the swift current tugging at them with every step. The ranger slipped once, but Lance hauled her back upright before she could be pulled away as well. The two scrambled for handholds and footholds on the now muddy slope. A few seconds later and both hauled themselves over the lip of the bank to lay panting and shivering at the base of a huge tree.

A minute passed as they willed their hearts to slow down. Lance sat up, shoulders still heaving, to stare down at the roaring brown water of the flooded river. The situation finally sank into the gunner's brain and he punched the trunk of the tree with a string of curses spilling out of his mouth. Anna sat up as well, silent as she stared bleakly down at the water that had swept away two of their close friends.

The downpour finally slowed to drizzle as the two sat there next to each other. The flashes of lightning became less frequent and the grumble of thunder sounded further and further away. Already the river was receding, although the water level stayed much higher than normal.

Anna stood up, water dripping off her clothes and hair, "Let's go."

Lance stared up at her, "To Goldenbrick?"

The ranger shook her head, "No, to find Matt and Natalie."

"You think they survived that?" Lance asked skeptically, but rose to his feet to stand beside her, equally soaked.

"I know they did. If we can survive falling down a massive chasm, then they can survive a raging river," Anna insisted, sounding way more assured than she actually felt.

Lance stared at her for a few seconds, opened his mouth to state how unlikely it was that Matt and Natalie wouldn't have drowned, and shut it again without saying a word; he didn't want to believe the two had died, either. Finally, he smirked, "Good point. Any idea how far they might have been swept or places where they might wash up?"

"I haven't had many forays into Lankyroot, but I know there's a small lake downstream from here, they might wash up on the banks there," Anna mused.

"Good enough for me. We might find them along the way, too. Assuming they have the sense to stay close to the river, of course," Lance said, turning downstream.

Anna fell in step beside him, "Natz has more sense than that." She frowned as a thought came to her, "I hope they're still together.

"They will be: Matt would never let Natalie go." Lance stated confidently.

Anna grinned, "Of course; even if both of them are blind to that fact."

Lance huffed an amused breath in agreement and they fell silent as they began to search for their lost friends.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

The water slammed into Matt with more force than anything he could remember ever being hit by right after he wrapped one arm around Natalie's waist, pushing both of them under. The two tumbled through the water helplessly, twisting around so much that Matt had no way of knowing which way was up anymore. His chest soon burned for oxygen and he felt Natalie begin thrashing instinctively, trying to break out of his grasp to find air, and he tightened his one-armed grip on her waist. If he lost her here, he might never find her again. Sending a silent prayer out to whatever higher power might be listening and was feeling benevolent, Matt began blindly kicking for what he hoped was the surface. His pounding heart skipped a beat and his legs faltered before striking out with renewed and desperate strength as Natalie jerked once before becoming a dead-weight in his arms.

Oblivion was encroaching on the edges of the swordsman's mind when his head finally broke the surface of the raging river. Gulping in huge breaths of air Matt struggled to pull Natalie up as well, his heart clenching as the mage's head lolled lifelessly to rest against his shoulder. The two were still twisting helplessly in the current, but Matt was relieved that at least they had air now. A searing pain erupted in in his side as something in the river tore through his shirt to catch the skin underneath, tearing a jagged wound for the river water to sting. Pushing the pain out of his mind with a force of will born from desperation, Matt looked around as well as he was able for something to catch hold of so as to haul him and Natalie out of the rapids. Looking ahead while on the crest of a swell, the swordsman could see that the water was sweeping them towards a lake where it slowed to swirl around before continuing downstream. Deeming it to be the best opportunity they would have, Matt began swimming diagonally for the bank to avoid being rolled in the water, pushing off any stones his feet pressed against on the bottom of the river, and dragging the limp Natalie with him.

Thirty seconds that felt like an eternity of desperate swimming later, and Matt snagged his free hand on a tree root along the bank of the river. He prayed that it was strong enough to withstand the drag of the current against him and Natalie as he slowly and painfully pulled himself onto the muddy shore, heaving the mage up after him. Matt's muscles trembled in exhaustion and his shoulders heaved with each gulp of glorious air broken by sharp coughs to expel river water from his lungs as he lay on his back on the bank. Blood ran from the stinging cut on his side, dripping down to be absorbed by the ground. He turned his head sideways to look at Natalie and bolted upright, all feelings of tiredness and pain forgotten as she simply lay there, ominously still.

"Wake up, Natalie. Wake up," Matt chanted breathlessly, shaking the limp mage by her shoulders. Natalie's head flopped to the side, face pale, but her eyes stayed shut and she didn't respond. He shook her harder moaning, "No, no, no, Natz. Don't do this to me, please." Natalie remained still. Matt closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as panic threatened to overwhelm and drown him like the river had.

As his panic dissipated, Lance's voice echoed in his mind, "… _I'm not interested in saving lives…_ " With a flash of clarity, Matt remembered when Natalie had been attempting to teach him and Lance basic medical skill. At the time, he and Lance had blown her off; he, himself, had commented that that was why Natalie was there. Still, Natalie had merely glowered at the two men until they quelled into submission and proceeded to tell them both about what to do in various crises anyway. And one of those crises had been after drowning!

Matt, holding his soaking hair out of the way, lowered his ear to Natalie's mouth. Not breathing. Shakily, he reached out and placed two fingers against the pulse-point on her neck. No heart-beat. Matt swallowed heavily before setting one palm flat on the center of her chest with the other hand on top of it and began rapidly pressing down on her chest. A shard of ice was slowly driving its way into Matt's heart and tears prickled in the corners of his eyes as nothing seemed to happen. Thirty seconds passed and the swordsman's shoulders were aching. "Come on, Natz. Come back," Matt pleaded. He was about to give up when Natalie's eyes flew open and she rolled sideways, coughing heavily as she retched lungsful of water onto the bank. What was normally a horrible sound became the most beautiful thing Matt had ever heard as he rubbed Natalie's trembling back soothingly. Tears ran un-noticed down his face as the words, " _She's alive. Alive,_ " kept spinning through his mind. Finally, Natalie stopped coughing and she sat hunched over in exhaustion, formerly-still chest heaving and eyes shut, focusing on breathing.

Natalie opened her eyes and a blur of black and yellow caught her by surprise and she stiffened as Matt threw his arms around her, burying his face where her neck joined her shoulder. The swordsman's entire body trembled, either from cold, emotion, or some mixture of the two, Natalie wasn't sure. "Matt…?" she hesitantly ventured. Matt simply tightened his hold on her and Natalie felt warm tears fall on her neck. The mage relaxed and forwent any further words, choosing instead to relax and wrap her arms around Matt, allowing him to take whatever comfort he needed from her. Finally, Matt's trembling stilled and he pulled back, wiping away some stray tears with the backs of his hands. He blushed from the intense look Natalie leveled at him, and he turned his stare down to his lap. Natalie caught his chin with one hand, lifting his head up to make eye-contact, "Are you okay?"

Matt swallowed heavily, "I'm sorry. I just- You were-" He broke off, eyes tightly shut. A few seconds passed in tense silence while Matt sorted his thoughts out. Releasing a shuddering sigh he spoke once more, "You just went limp when we were in the river and then when I pulled us out, you just lay there. You wouldn't wake up. You weren't breathing. Your heart wasn't beating. Even after I did that PCR-thingy for a while you still weren't breathing." His eyes opened again, raking over Natalie's face, taking in her wide-eyed expression, "I thought for sure you were dead, and I didn't know what I was going to do without you." He closed his eyes once more, "Don't do that to me ev-" his words were cut off by a pair of warm lips crashing against his own. Matt's eyes opened wide to see Natalie's own closed ones inches from his own. He sat there until his brain caught up with the fact that Natalie, _Natalie_ , was in front of him, soft lips pressing against his own chapped ones, and his eyes slid shut again as he wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer, returning the affection.

Natalie was on cloud-nine and soaring higher as Matt's lips moved against her own. The kiss was awkward, inexperienced on both sides, they were dripping wet, she had just barely recovered from drowning, they were separated from their friends, and Natalie couldn't remember a more beautiful moment in her life. She wrapped her arms around Matt's neck, pulling him closer to her with a soft moan. Her head was spinning, but she didn't make any move to stop until Matt abruptly broke the kiss with a hiss of pain. Natalie blinked, recovering from the high induced by kissing Matt, before she looked down to see that her arms had fallen to his sides and she could feel sticky warmth under her right palm. Pulling her hand back, the mage was alarmed to see that it had been coated with blood and her eyes snapped to Matt's side to see a rip in his Captain's Shirt with a dark stain around it.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" Natalie scolded, pushing Matt to lie on his back. She reached for her staff only to realize she had lost her grip on it when the floodwaters had hit her. "Damnit, my staff is gone," grumbling about losing one of her favorite weapons, she reached for her Adventure Bag only to find nothing where it was usually tied at her waist.

"I forgot about it when I saw you weren't moving," Matt explained. He watched in concern from where he lay as Natalie twisted around, hoping to find her pouch lying on the bank, "Bag's gone too?"

Natalie sighed glumly, "Looks like it. We'll have to deal with this the old fashioned way, let me see your bag." Matt dug it out of the inner pocket of his jacket he had stashed it in and handed it over to her. Natalie reached inside, pulling out a strip of silk, an old towel, a ball of wool thread, and Matt's canteen. Peeling back the swordsman's shirt to reveal the wound, Natalie wet the towel with water from the canteen and began cleaning out the cut as best as she could. "This would be better if we had some kind of anti-bacterial wash, but I guess I've gotten too complacent: I haven't even thought about getting some in forever. Sorry," Natalie apologized as Matt winced as she passed over the cut a little too roughly. Having cleaned the wound, the mage folded up the silk and had Matt hold it against the cut as she took the wool thread and wrapped it around his torso several times to hold the makeshift bandage in place.

Matt carefully sat up and gave Natalie a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Natz," he smiled, standing up. Natalie smiled back brightly and handed his Adventure Bag back to him before standing up as well. "So, how well can you fight without a staff? I don't think I've ever seen you battle without one before."

Natalie shrugged, "My spells won't have as much focus, so attacks will be weaker and healing is a 'no' entirely. I'd probably sooner accidentally poison you than heal you, so try not to get hit. It takes more mana to get a spell to activate without a focus point as well so I'll get tired more easily." She tilted her head thoughtfully, "Fire shouldn't be too hard, I think. Though, it will probably come out in a stream rather than a ball."

Matt nodded, "Okay, so no charging in headfirst, got it." He pouted, "This means we need to avoid battle as much as possible, doesn't it? That's no fun."

"At least until we find Lance and Anna, or something I can use as a staff," Natalie said.

Frowning, Matt stared into the trees, "Right, we should get back to them as soon as possible." He picked a random direction and started walking.

Natalie jogged to catch up, "Do you even know where we are?"

"Of course I do!" Matt exclaimed.

"Oh, good, because I have no idea," Natalie sighed in relief.

**DDDDDD**

"Are you sure we're headed the right way?" Natalie asked for the fourth time. The sun was setting and the woods were getting dark. Matt shrugged and said nothing. Natalie turned her head to stare at him as they walked and saw how he had his jaw clenched. Stopping next to a large fallen log that had hollowed out over time, Natalie turned to him completely, "Let's stop here for the night."

Matt released a sigh, looking around, "Sure, we won't find them in the dark, anyway."

A few minutes later saw the clearing flickering with a small fire and Natalie set some of the wards Anna had taught her to do. The pair sat next to each other, shoulders brushing, as they munched on some of the rations Matt carried. Natalie shivered as a damp draft blew through the clearing, rustling leaves and causing their fire to dance. A second later and Matt had draped an arm around her shoulders and she tucked against his good side. There was a comfortable silence between them and Natalie drifted off, listening to Matt's steady heartbeat drum in his chest.

As the mage fell asleep against him, Matt let out a sigh of contentment. " _Well, all things considered, this has turned out far better than I thought it would when I jumped in the river after Natz."_ He looked down on Natalie with a fond smile playing on his face. Leaning his cheek to rest on the crown of her head, Matt leaned them back against the log and fell asleep.

**DDDDDD**

Natalie woke first the next morning, but was reluctant to open her eyes and ruin the remnants of her wonderful dream where she and Matt had shared a kiss. She tucked her nose into her pillow and sighed feeling warm, safe, and happy. A heated pillow that was moving up and down. Natalie's eyes flew open to find Matt's arm loosely around her waist securing her against him. She turned her head slowly and blinked up at the swordsman's peacefully sleeping face. " _Sweet heavens, it_ wasn't _a dream,_ " Natalie thought in astonishment before a wide smile split her face, cheeks dusted with a light blush. Matt's face scrunched up for a second before his blue eyes opened to see Natalie beaming up at him.

"'Morning," He murmured with a gentle smile.

"Good morning. Sleep okay?" Natalie asked.

Matt removed his arm from her waist to stretch both limbs over his head, "I slept fine." He gently prodded the cut on his torso and commented, "My side doesn't hurt as much today."

"That's good. Now, what do you say we find Lance and Anna; they've gotta be somewhere close by," Natalie said, standing up. She twisted her back to stretch it, "Where did you say we were again?"

"Lankyroot."

Natalie turned to stare at him, eye's narrowing as a sudden suspicion filled her mind, "And _where_ in Lankyroot are we?"

Matt heard the slight undertone and nervously grinned, "Err, the Jungle part of it?"

"Figures," Natalie grumbled before sighing, "Great, we're stuck in the woods with no idea where we are."

Matt sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Anna can find us, right?"

Natalie eyed him, "I sure hope so. We should have stayed by the river to make it easier for her, though. I didn't even think of it yesterday." She looked around the clearing, "Let's try making our way back there." Matt nodded and began to walk out of the clearing when Natalie grabbed his arm. He turned back with a confused expression. The mage's arm dropped and she shuffled in embarrassment, staring at her feet. Gathering her nerve, she looked back up with a bright blush on her cheeks, "So, are we… More than 'Just teammates' now?"

Matt stared at her in confusion for a few seconds before his face cleared and he leaned forward to brush his lips across hers. He leaned back again and smiled at the expression on her face, "Does that answer your question?"

Natalie beamed and grabbed Matt's hand, "Definitely."

Side-by-side, they began walking through the trees once more.

**DDDDDD**

When after several hours of walking and slaying a few strangely colored bulb plants, they still hadn't reached the river, Matt and Natalie concluded that they must have chosen the wrong direction to return to the river. They exchanged a glance and Matt opened his mouth to suggest they stop for lunch when he cocked his head and froze.

"What is it?" Natalie asked, glancing around, searching for enemies.

Matt waved for her to be quiet and turned his looking through the trees. Turning to face Natalie he declared, "I can hear water!"

The mage's face lit up and she closed her eyes, listening. Her eyes popped open again and she pointed ahead and to the left, "That way!"

Matt grabbed Natalie's hand, tugged her forward, and raced through the trees. A few seconds later, they broke out of the undergrowth into a clearing that had a brook running to a pond with a large pumpkin growing on its bank, and their faces fell in disappointment.

"Well, at least it's freshwater," Matt sighed stepping forward and dipping his canteen in the brook and capping it again.

Natalie pouted, "I'm sick of this jungle. It's hot, there're giant bugs everywhere, and those stupid red flowers stink."

Matt's reply was cut off by a metallic grinding sound and the two whipped around to stare at the source. The large pumpkin had sprouted arms and a few spokes to serve as legs and a small head popped up. Turning around, the pumpkin revealed a painted, black, jack-o-lantern face and its face was dominated by one, large, mechanical eye.

Matt gaped at the creature, "Looks like someone had too much fun on Halloween."

"Now really isn't the time for jokes, Matt. I don't have a weapon, remember?" Natalie retorted.

Jack rolled forward, slamming its fist into the ground, but missing as the pair split off, "Giant fruit doesn't scare me! I'll put you in my belly!" Matt exclaimed. "Get back in the trees, Natz." He shook his head to counter her objection, "You don't have to go far, but you know you can't fight as effectively without a weapon. If this turns nasty, I'll follow you, okay?"

Natalie chewed on her lip before nodding hesitantly, "Okay, but be careful." She slipped back into the trees, but kept the clearing in sight.

Matt leapt forward and swung his sword down onto the robot's shell, denting the metal and sending a shock reverberating up his sword all the way to his shoulder. Jack swung his arm around, catching Matt on his wounded side and sending him flying sideways to land in the shallow pond with a splash. Sitting up with a groan, Matt waded as quickly as he could to the edge of the pond and hauled himself back onto the grass. He lunged for cover behind a boulder as small gun barrels poked out of the painted eyes of the jack-o-lantern face. Bullets pinged against his cover followed by heavy footsteps as Jack tromped closer, while maintaining suppressive fire. Matt could hear Natalie call his name but it was drowned out by a louder cry from behind the robot. The bullets cut off and Matt chanced a peek around the boulder to see Jack's attention had turned to the new arrivals.

There, to Matt and Natalie's immense relief, stood Lance and Anna.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Anna and Lance trekked alongside the river in silence, staying close to the tree line to stay relatively dry. The river's water had fallen to a more normal level, though it was still a muddy brown and running swifter than usual. So far, they had seen no signs of Matt or Natalie, nor any place where the two might have managed to get out of the current that had carried them away. On the bright side they also hadn't yet had any run-ins with monsters. Anna's focus was intent on the banks of the river, eyes sweeping the muddy ground for any tracks that might indicate Matt or Natalie-preferably both together-had gotten out; Lance, though not as good of a tracker as the ranger, helped by keeping an eye and ear out for any signs of potential attackers.

Suddenly, Anna stopped and lifted one arm to point at a tangle of logs and branches caught against some rocks in the river, "There, I think I see something."

Lance squinted in the direction she was pointing and caught a glimpse of something glinting in the middle of the debris. "Could just be some garbage," He said skeptically.

Anna shrugged, "Hey, I think we should check everything suspicious in the river." She slid down the muddy slope to the water's edge and stood there contemplating the best way to reach the glittering object, "Hmm, It's too far to just reach out and snag it," she glanced down at the rushing water, "and somehow I don't think swimming for it is a very good idea."

"Definitely not," Lance said with a shake of his head, still standing above her on the higher bank. "It obviously isn't Matt or Natz. Let's just leave it and-" he broke off with a shout of surprise as Anna backed up a few steps before, with no warning at all, she ran forward leapt for the mat of debris. There was a heart stopping moment as the ranger landed on the branches and they shifted, a few breaking off to be carried away. "Are you nuts?! What if the whole thing had broken up beneath you?" Lance yelled across to Anna.

The ranger ignored her shouting companion as she regained her balance on the shifting raft of branches. She carefully lowered herself, wary of any sign that the whole thing was about to break apart, and reached forward to work the glittering object free from the mess without tearing the entire raft to pieces. A few tense seconds filled with Lance's raving from behind her passed, before Anna's eyes widened as she pulled Natalie's Crystal Staff out of the water. It had a few wet leaves and blades of grass stuck to it, but was most definitely the mage's staff. Anna held her find up for Lance to see and the gunner's rant cut off abruptly as he recognized the weapon.

"Well, at least we know we didn't miss them emerging before this point," Lance said, heaving a sigh. Anna nodded and carefully turned around to face the bank again. She froze and released a sheepish laugh that had Lance raising one eyebrow, "What's so funny?"

"Err, I didn't think about how to get back when I decided to jump over here," Anna admitted with an embarrassed laugh. The ranger winced when Lance slapped his palm over his face and dragged it down over his eyes. She winced again when he lowered his hand to glare at her, his face telling her that she completely deserved to be left there for being such an idiot. "Sooo, any brilliant ideas to get me back over there?" Anna asked, smiling hopefully.

Lance crossed his arms and chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully. He looked at the distance between where Anna stood on the mat of branches and the muddy bank, calculating how far it was between them before he abruptly turned around and began heading for the trees.

"Hey, don't just leave me here!" Anna yelled desperately.

Lance twisted his neck around to glare back at her from over his shoulder. "I'll be right back. Don't try jumping, don't try swimming, don't try paddling; don't even move," he snapped at her.

"Where are you going, though?" Anna called as he disappeared between the trunks. She huffed, muttering, "Geez, he could at least tell me what he's going to go do." Cold water began seeping into Anna's boots and she groaned. "I hope he hurries back."

**DDDDDD**

Lance stormed through the trees until he came across some strong, but flexible vines. He pulled out his gunblade and hacked off a few long tendrils. Tying one end of them together, the gunner began braiding them to form a makeshift rope, muttering all the while. "Stupid girl what the hell was she thinking, jumping for those branches like that. I should just leave her sitting there; it would serve her right." He sighed, anger fading as he thought, " _What if she had fallen in, too?_ " A shiver ran down Lance's spine as he imagined helplessly watching his last friend be swept away. He firmly pushed the image out of his mind as he finished braiding the vines and tied the end off. Coiling the crude rope and sliding it over his shoulder, Lance retraced his steps back to the river. He'd been gone for too long, and he couldn't be sure that Anna wouldn't get impatient and try to get back to shore on her own. "I swear, if she's moved even one inch…" Lance grumbled in an attempt to keep himself from thinking about worst-case scenarios. To his immense relief, Anna was still balancing on the raft of branches when he arrived back at the river edge, though he noted that she had tucked Natalie's Crystal Staff away and was staring at the shifting platform beneath her with a concerned frown.

Anna looked up when she spotted movement on the bank from the corner of her eye. Her face lit up at the sight of the makeshift rope Lance pulled off his shoulder. "Good plan! Hurry and toss it over; I can feel this mat breaking up."

Lance rolled his eyes as he flung the coil over to her, keeping one end firmly in hand. The rope landed half on the mat of branches and half in the water. Anna carefully leaned down to snag it before the current tugged it away. She tied the rope around her waist and pulled on it a few times to test the knot before waving to let Lance know that it would hold. She waited until Lance had wrapped the rope securely around his hand and spread his feet in a wide stance. Taking a deep breath, Anna planted one foot against the one of the slippery rocks holding the branches in place and pushed off for shore. She made it about halfway before she fell in the water and started swimming. Immediately, the current started dragging her downstream, but it wasn't long before the rope tied around her waist snapped taut and prevented her from drifting any further. Looking ahead past the splashing of water, Anna could see Lance hauling the rope in hand-over-hand to help bring her to safety. A few minutes later and the ranger felt the muddy bank under foot and she hauled herself back onto shore not far from where Lance stood.

Standing up, Anna untied the rope around her waist and turned to find Lance right behind her, red eyes flaring with renewed fury. Anna took a half a step back only to have her foot hit the river again. She glanced back: cornered. The ranger swallowed heavily as she turned back to face the music. "Thank you," Lance remained silent, simply staring at her. "I'm sorry?" Anna tried hesitantly.

Lance blew up. "You're ' _sorry'_ , huh?" He hissed furiously. "We _just_ saw Matt and Natalie get carried away by that river and you thought _jumping_ to bunch of crap caught against some rocks in the middle of it to stare at something sparkly was a _good_ idea?!" Anna opened her mouth to defend herself, but Lance swept on, "Did you even _think_ about what might have gone wrong before you tried your insane leap? Obviously not, or you would have realized that you had _no feasible way to get back_ _by yourself_." Anna's mouth snapped shut and her cheeks flared in embarrassment, unable to meet Lance's furious gaze any longer, "You could have fallen in and been swept away as well! Yes, the river is no longer in the middle of a flash flood, but it is still moving _way too fast_ for anyone to safely swim in it. Never mind warning me that you were about to try something so _stupid_. How do you think I would have felt if you gotten carried off to Godcat knows where, if you came up at all?" Lance finally stopped to breath, staring intently at the ranger in front of him.

Anna's head snapped back up as she caught the undertone of fear in Lance's rant; her green eyes met his red ones. "You're right: I didn't think about any consequences. I'm sorry for scaring you."

The anger and underlying fear in Lance's eyes faded and a blush rose before he turned around, "I just don't want to have to fish three people out of this stupid river. Now let's get going. The sooner we find the other two, the sooner we can leave; this jungle stinks." With that, Lance started walking again, ignoring the giggle that came from behind him.

**DDDDDD**

A few hours passed and the pair finally came to the lake Anna had mentioned. Anna let out a gasp and ran ahead of Lance to a muddy part of the bank broken by gnarled tree roots. She raced over to one particularly large root and fell to her knees next to it, "Here! Someone pulled themselves out here!"

Lance's eyes widened and he ran up next to the ranger and stared down at the distinct, scuffed indentations in the mud. "Two of them; they must have managed to stay together after all!" He exclaimed.

Anna nodded, her eyes running over the less obvious marks, trying to read what had happened after they had hauled themselves out of the water. She frowned at a distinctly darker patch of mud, "At least one of them was bleeding at the time." She followed the marks with her eyes towards the woods beyond the river and heaved a sigh, "Unfortunately, they apparently didn't have the sense to stay near the water."

Lance frowned, "That's weird; I was sure Natz knew better, maybe she wasn't conscious?"

"No, they both walked away from here," Anna said with a shake of her head. A sudden flash of red bobbing in the water in her peripheral caused her to turn her head. "What's that?" She pointed to it and Lance followed her finger with his eyes.

"Uh, oh," He waded into the water and fished out a small pouch. Turning, he held it up for Anna to see, "This would be Natalie's Adventure Bag. We already have her Crystal Staff, so that means she's basically defenseless right now." He stopped and considered that thought, "Well, aside from Matt, of course."

Anna frowned, "If she didn't have any of her staves on her, then how did she heal whichever of them was hurt? There's a lot of blood here, but it doesn't trail into the woods."

Lance spotted a piece of cloth snagged on a smaller root nearby. He stepped out of the water and bent to pick it up. The fabric was stained with blood. "I'm guessing the old fashioned way. I forgot Natalie knows how to do that, too." Lance mused as he tossed the cloth to Anna, who dropped it with a wrinkled nose.

"So, one or both of them is wandering unfamiliar woods wounded, and Natalie is not able to fight. Great," Anna sighed before motioning for Lance to follow her. "At least they survived the river. Let's go find them before they get killed by a swarm of wasps or something equally pathetic."

The followed the trail for a couple more hours until the sun began setting and Anna was forced to call a halt for lack of proper light to track. "Let's stop here; I don't want to miss something in the dark."

Lance shrugged, "Sure, we probably aren't too far behind them at this point, and we have a trail. I'll go get some wood, be right back." With that, he strode off into the trees and out of sight.

Anna nodded, even though Lance wouldn't see it, and began digging a shallow pit that she then lined with stones for the fire. Lance wasn't back yet when she finished, so the ranger sat on a large tree root and pulled out Natalie's Crystal Staff and an old rag and proceeded to clean the mud and dried leaves off it. As she worked, Anna wondered if the two were even alive or if they had already been killed by some forest creature, and a few tears formed in her eyes to run down her cheeks, landing on the gem of the staff. She sucked in a deep breath and caught tight hold of the errant thought and threw it to the back of her mind. "They're fine, _they are._ " She murmured to herself with as much conviction as possible.

"Of course they are," Lance's voice made Anna jump in surprise and she twisted around to see him watching her carefully with an armful of branches. Suddenly very aware of the tears on her face, Anna turned back away from him and hastily wiped them away.

"Right, of course. Now then, how about that fire? My clothes are still a little damp; I could use the warmth and cheer," Anna said.

Lance stared at her for a few more seconds before he shrugged and set the bundle of sticks in his arms down. Soon, there was a crackling fire throwing a circle of light around them. Anna gave a small sigh of relief as the warmth washed over her. The two ate a quick dinner of dried meat strips and it wasn't long after that Anna gave a huge yawn. Standing up, she shuffled about, setting the wards for the night before returning to the fire. She pulled her blanket out, mumbled a quick 'good night' to Lance, and fell asleep.

Lance stayed up for a little longer, watching Anna's peaceful face in the firelight. He sighed and leaned back on his blanket to look up at the shadowed leaves overhead. "Well, at least she's safe right now," Lance murmured before his eyelids slid shut and he drifted off.

An indeterminate amount of time had passed when the gunner shot upright, weapon in hand. He stared around their dark campsite, trying to spot whatever had awoken him, certain he had heard something. Anna's wards were still in place and, after a few seconds of silence, Lance yawned, lowering his weapon to run a hand through his red hair. "Maybe it was just a cold breeze," he murmured to himself, glancing at the glowing embers that were all that remained of the campfire. Shrugging the gunner laid back and pulled one edge of his blanket over him. Suddenly, the noise came again and he bolted back up, staring towards where Anna was sleeping.

The ranger had let out a small whimper and was shaking under her blanket, back turned to Lance. As he watched, Anna twisted onto her back and sweat could be seen glistening on her forehead in the faint glow of the dying fire. Lance frowned as her whimpers turned to quiet moans and he stood up to walk over to where she was shaking. He kneeled down and reached out with one hand hesitantly. Lance's palm hovered just over her shoulder for a few seconds before he swallowed and set it down, intending to shake her awake from her nightmare. A gentle shake elicited no response from Anna so Lance shook her slightly harder with a whisper of her name. Her shaking got worse and Lance reached out and with a hand on both of her shoulders, shaking the girl even harder coupled with a louder call of her name.

Anna's green eyes shot open and Lance suddenly found himself flat on his back, staring up at a wild Anna sitting on his chest with one hand pinning his right shoulder and the other raised over her head, gripping an arrow. The gunner's eyes were fixed on the sharp arrowhead and he swallowed heavily. "Anna..?" Lance asked hesitantly. To his relief, the crazed fog clouding her eyes cleared and she stared down at him in confusion for a few seconds.

"Lance? What are…?" Anna trailed off as she took in their positions and realized what had happened. Immediately, she scrambled off of him and backed against a nearby trunk. "Holy- I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I didn't stab you or anything, did I?"

Lance sat up and rolled his right shoulder, "No, you didn't. Remind me not to wake you up ever again; you're way faster than Matt." Anna just stared at him, guilt filling her face. "Hey, no harm done," he assured her.

"' _No harm done_ '? I could have killed you just now," Anna said in a horrified tone.

"Emphasis on _could_. You obviously didn't, now let it go," Lance was quick to reply. Anna looked down, but nodded hesitantly. "Good. Now, are you okay?"

"...I'm fine…" Anna murmured, still looking down.

Lance observed her with one brow raised disbelievingly, "You sure? That looked like a pretty bad dream." He looked to the side in embarrassment, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Anna turned her head back up to stare at him briefly before she looked away again. "I was back at the archery range in Greenwood with Michael; only this time you guys didn't make it in time," she mumbled quietly. That was part of her dream, certainly, but she left out that the reason that they hadn't come was because they had already been brutally murdered by Michael. Anna shivered, recalling the glazed look of death in Lance's eyes.

Lance stared at Anna in surprise, before hurrying to reassure her, "Hey. We'll always make it in time to save you; as Matt says: you're a part of the team now. No man or woman left behind."

Anna nodded slightly before shifting back closer to him. She curled back up on her blanket and Lance returned to his. Anna squeezed her eyes shut, listening to the shuffling of Lance getting situated, trying to coax her body back to sleep. Her eyes shot open as she heard Lance come back around the fire pit to lay his blanket close enough to be within arms reach of hers, and curled up under it once more, all without a word. The ranger rolled over to stare at the back on Lance's head in surprise before she smiled softly and fell asleep once more, this time with no nightmares.

**DDDDDD**

Morning came too soon for either of them, but the pair still dragged themselves upright and stuffed their sleeping gear away. Neither one mentioned the events of the night before as they set off; once more following Matt and Natalie's trail.

After only a half hour of walking, following a straight path through the trees, the pair found where Matt and Natalie had camped. Strangely, their path suddenly diverged from the set course it had been following to veer off to the left.

"Where the heck are they heading?" Anna muttered in confusion.

An hour later and pair came across a few colored plants that had been cut in half or charred. "Well, at least it looks like Natalie can still use some magic," Lance commented, inspecting the charred remains of one of the bulbs.

Their inspection of the scene was interrupted by the distant sound of machine gun fire. Anna exchanged a bewildered and alarmed glance with Lance before darting off towards the noise. Trees flashed past them as they raced closer to the sounds of battle. After all, the only people who could possibly have rotten enough of luck to find a robot in the middle of a dense jungle, were Matt and Natalie. The two burst out of the trees to see a giant, pumpkin shaped robot steadily advancing towards the boulder it was maintaining fire on.

"Not you again," Lance groaned waving a hand to dismiss Anna's confusion.

The ranger shrugged and yelled, "Hey! Over here, you stupid squash," as she released a combo shot on the robot. The arrows clattered against the metal shell and gained the robot's attention.

Lance joined in the assault with a double shot. As the machine turned to reveal its jack-o-lantern face with gun barrels sticking out of the eyes, Lance saw the blond top of Matt's head poke up from behind the pock-marked boulder; however, he couldn't see Natalie anywhere.

Pushing the thought out of his mind, Lance called for Anna to stand back and for Matt to get back down. He fished a small black rectangle out of his pocket, tossed it onto the ground in front of Jack, and stood back. With a strange whirring-beeping noise, a massive tank materialized out of a blue laser light from the box he had thrown down. The gun turrets of his Valkyrie Tank swiveled automatically to bear on the giant pumpkin-bot. A split second later and more machine gun fire rang out before the tank's turret swung around and blasted Jack right in in the middle of its body, blowing the orange shell to pieces. As the smoking, orange shrapnel fell to the ground, his Valkyrie Tank vanished in the same manner it had appeared and Lance stepped forward to scoop up the rectangle and shove it back in his pocket.

"You can come out now, Matt," Lance called. The swordsman popped up with a big grin for the two. Lance glanced around, "Where's Natz? We know she was with you earlier."

Matt turned and waved a hand towards the trees. Anna frowned as he brought his other hand to his side with a flinch during the action and leaned towards Lance. "Looks like Matt's the one who was injured," she whispered in his ear.

Lance glanced at her, "Not for long. You do still have Natalie's Adventure Bag, right?"

Anna rolled her eyes as the mage came into sight, "No, I buried it for safe keeping at our campsite. Of course I still have it!" She turned her attention to her other two friends, "Glad to see you two alive."

Natalie stopped right next to Matt and leaned on his arm. Anna and Lance raised identical eyebrows as Matt turned his head and pecked her cheek. Their eyes shifted from Natalie to Matt and back again as matching smirks spread across their faces.

"I think we missed something momentous, Lance," Anna mused with a snicker. Natalie blushed.

Lance crossed his arms, "Yeah, well it's about time." Matt flushed as well and looked down at his feet.

Natalie cleared her throat, "Glad to see you guys, too." She turned to Anna, "Can you heal Matt? I lost all my stuff."

Anna pretended to think about it before she shook her head, "Nah, I think I'll pass." She struggled to hold in her laughter as Natalie's jaw dropped and Matt turned a pleading look on her. The ranger bit her lip before bursting out laughing and she pulled out her wooden flute to heal Matt's side. Lance sent a weird look her way, but Anna ignored it. A brief son later and Matt gave her smile while Natalie glared at her for joking about not healing her boyfriend.

Her anger faded as Anna grinned and dangled a very familiar pouch from one finger for Natalie to take. The mage's eyes widened, lit up, and she snatched the pouch, immediately opening it. "I can't believe you guys found it! I thought for sure that I would need to find a bunch more to replace-" She broke off as she reached inside, her eyes widened even further as she pulled out her Crystal Staff. Natalie squealed in happiness, "I completely forgive you for anything you have ever done! Though, for the record, you've been spending _way_ too much time around Lance. You're even picking up his evil sense of humor."

Anna flushed while Lance snorted, "Not enough time, if you ask me, since she thought jumping in the river to retrieve a stick was a great plan."

"Well, she didn't drown, obviously, so whatever!" Matt said. "Now, let's get the heck out of here!"

All four of them grinned as they headed out of the clearing.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

The reunited party had only been traveling for a short while when Anna stopped to inspect a larger-than-normal tree. Lance glanced over at her sudden halt, "What's the matter, Anna?"

The ranger glanced at him briefly, but turned to Matt and Natalie. "So where were you guys actually headed before Lance and I caught up to you? You were following a straight line until you camped last night, but then you changed course the next morning," Anna asked.

Natalie grimaced, "Well, Matt started walking saying he knew where we were and I followed him. Unfortunately, his idea of 'knowing where he is' is 'knowing the name of the location he's at.'" She glanced sideways at Lance when he unsuccessfully attempted to mask his laugh with a cough, "Anyway, I suggested we head back to the river the next morning, but we picked the wrong direction to walk in." She shrugged, "It's a good thing you found us, because we were pretty lost. Why are you asking, though?"

Anna frowned, "I was hoping that maybe you knew where we were. I've never been this deep into Lankyroot Jungle."

"Wait, so you mean we're lost?" Matt asked, frowning when Anna nodded.

Lance groaned, "Great, we're going to be in here for weeks, aren't we? We don't have the time to waste on an extreme nature hike."

"Nah, we won't be here for weeks, don't worry," Anna assured him. She waved a hand at the tree she had been staring at, "I can use this tree to figure out where we are."

Matt stared at the ranger, "The tree can tell you that? I didn't know you were a tree-whisperer, Anna!"

Anna stared at him in confusion, "What? I'm not going to talk to the tree; don't be stupid."

"Might be a little hard for him," Lance muttered resulting in Natalie elbowing him, "Hey, it's true!"

Natalie rolled her eyes at him before turning back to Anna, "So how's the tree going to help?"

"I'll climb it and see if I can spot anything," Anna said nonchalantly. The other three stared at her before turning to stare at the tree.

"You're going to climb _that_? It's huge!" Matt exclaimed, craning his head back to stare up the trunk.

"I don't know; what if you fall?" Natalie asked with a frown of concern.

"No," Lance said flatly.

Anna bristled, glaring at the gunner, "' _No_?' Do you want to spend the next three weeks trying to find a path out of this jungle? Besides, the chances of me falling are pretty slim. I've been climbing trees for practically my entire life; trees even bigger than this one!"

Lance glared back at her, "No. There could be monsters hiding in a tree this big; how would you fight them?"

"The same way I fight anything, duh!" Anna shot back furiously.

Matt and Natalie's heads turned back and forth to watch whoever was speaking during the argument like witnesses to a table tennis match. Matt pulled a couple of bags of chips out of his Adventure Pouch and offered one to Natalie. The mage accepted it with a smirk and opened the bag to pop a few chips in her mouth.

"And what if there are too many of them, huh? What then?" Lance asked with a raised eyebrow.

Anna pulled her flute out, "I blow them off the branches with a gust spell."

"This is stupid. You aren't climbing that tree, and that's that," Lance stated in a tone of finality.

"Like hell I'm not! The only 'stupid' thing here is you. You aren't the boss of me, Lance!" Anna hissed turning to the tree.

Lance snagged her arm before she took even one step, "Anna, I'm serious: don't go. How are we supposed to help you if we're stuck down here?"

Anna shook his hand off, "I can take care of myself! I'd been taking care of myself for _years_ before you three showed up, and I can take care of myself now!" With that, she ducked out of reach of Lance's next grab and darted up the side of the tree to the lowest branch. A few seconds later and the ranger had disappeared into the foliage of the branches.

Lance let out a snarl of frustration as he glared up the tree after her, "Argh, this is just like at the river! She's going to have missed something important, only this time there won't be anyone to help."

Natalie watched with both eyebrows raised as the gunner stomped over to a root next to the other two and flopped down to sit on it with a huff. She held her bag out, "Chip, Lance?" The gunner ignored her to continue glaring up the tree. Natalie shrugged and threw another chip in her mouth. "She won't be back for several minutes at least, you know."

"I know and when she does, I'm going to tie her to Matt," Lance grumbled.

Matt blanched, "Me!? What did I do to deserve that!? Why not tie her to yourself?"

"You're harder to move, that's why," Lance said with a smirk.

"She'd kill me and then move if you did that, though," Matt yelped.

Lance rolled his eyes and finally looked away from the tree, "I was joking, chill." Matt visibly relaxed and shoved the rest of his chips in his mouth. "I wish she'd listen, though."

Natalie snorted, "I think you should just accept that she has a mind of her own, Lance. Besides, she had a point: she's been doing this her whole life. It's her element."

"I know. But still, it'd be nice if I could help," Lance sighed, reaching up and snatching the chip bag out of Natalie's hands to pop a few in his mouth.

The mage frowned at the theft of her food until Matt handed her another bag. "Might as well make ourselves comfortable while we wait," Natalie sighed, sitting down next to Lance and pulling Matt down next to her.

**DDDDDD**

Anna snarled under her breath as she climbed the tree, "Stupid Lance, telling me I can't do something if they aren't with me. I don't need a baby-sitter." She wondered briefly why he was so adamant about helping. From the way Natalie half-heartedly griped about him, it seemed like 'helping' wasn't something he normally did unless it involved shooting something. Thinking back to when the others had caught up to her at the factory, Anna remembered Natalie had mentioned that Lance had taken an interest in the ranger, and flushed. The girl covered her embarrassment-despite there not being anyone around to see it- with another mutter, "Oh, boy; if that fight was because he has a crush on me and doesn't want me hurt, then we're going to need to have a talk about over-protectiveness."

A buzzing sound from just overhead broke Anna from her thoughts and the girl froze. Slowly and carefully turning her face upward, she spotted a lone Red Wasp hovering on a branch just above her with its back turned. Anna slid her Crimson Dragon bow off her shoulder, nocked an arrow, drew it back to full draw, and let it fly in a Piercing Shot. The missile sailed through the air and slammed into the giant bug, killing it instantly. Anna watched for a few seconds with satisfaction as the monster fell through the branches to the ground far below before turning back to the task at hand. "See? I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Anna muttered, hauling herself even higher.

**DDDDDD**

Back on the jungle floor, the wasp hit the ground right in front of Natalie, who screamed, causing Matt and Lance, who had been tossing snacks up in the air to catch with their mouths, to whip around with their weapons in hand.

Matt walked over to the dead bug and rolled it over with his foot to reveal the broken shaft of an arrow. "Man, if she's going to rain monsters down on us, she could at least make them tasty monsters," the swordsman sighed.

Natalie-who had gotten over the shock of having a giant bug landing in front of her-glared up the tree. "Not funny, Anna!" the mage yelled before turning to Lance, "See? She's doing fine."

Lance glanced up the tree, "I guess so; for now, anyway."

**DDDDDD**

Anna crouched on a narrow branch near the very top of the tree and stared out across the jungle. She was so far up that the winds made the tree sway lazily, requiring she have a steadying hand on the trunk. Far in the distance, Anna could make out the rounded tops of the buildings of Greenwood. "Hey, I can see me house from here!" She said with a grin. Shifting around the trunk to a branch on the opposite side, Anna gazed out in that direction. She spotted the river as it ran through the trees and followed it with her eyes, trying to find some way across it. The ranger squinted at what she thought looked a little too straight to be natural and made a small sound of satisfaction, "That must be the bridge we're supposed to cross. Well, time to get back down, I guess." She glanced up at the sun to figure out which direction they needed to head.

Nodding in confirmation, Anna made one last cursory sweep across the forest and frowned when she spotted a low white structure almost completely hidden by the trees. " _I wonder what that is,_ " She thought staring at the white smudge, " _Maybe it's the lost ruins of Lankyroot? That would be cool._ " The ranger looked past it to see the very edge of the glittering ocean. " _It's on our way to Goldenbrick. Maybe we can make a quick stop to see them; I bet there's some awesome treasure hidden there._ " Anna mused as she began her careful descent.

She was nearly at the bottom of the tree when she heard the sounds of fighting. Anna picked up her pace, dropping from branch to branch instead of carefully sliding to them. She landed on a limb hanging over the clearing where she could see Lance, Matt, and Natalie fending off some… "Are those flowers? Why are they having such a hard time beating flowers?" Anna frowned staring at the strange plants. As she watched, any damage the three had caused was suddenly recovered, but none of the three plants in the clearing seemed to have done the healing. Anna's eyes narrowed and she began searching between the trees behind the flowers. A flash of white caught her eyes and the ranger saw a pure white flower that glowed faintly with the familiar light of healing. "Found you," Anna murmured as she drew back an arrow. She let it fly in another Piercing Shot and smiled when the bow's enchantment activated, causing a dragon of flames to appear and incinerate the flower.

**DDDDDD**

Lance's eyes darted to the sudden flames that erupted in the trees behind the weird flowers that had suddenly erupted out of the ground. " _Must've been_ _Natalie,_ " he mused, turning his attention back to the red plant in front of him. He fired another bullet and blinked in surprise as the flower ducked into the ground, leaving a small hole and dodging the bullet. A second later and the plant popped up directly in front of him and exploded. Lance yelped in surprise and pain as fire burned his legs and stomach.

Meanwhile, Matt finally managed to lop the head off of the blue flower he had been fighting. He shook his leg to dislodge some of the ice that had formed on it. The plant had somehow been able to cast ice magic. "What jungle plant uses _ice_ as its attack? Not cool," Matt grumbled, stomping on the remains of the flower.

Natalie cast one final fireball spell on the yellow flower she had been facing. The fire engulfed the plant, and, with the healing having mysteriously stopped, the flower incinerated. The mage's orange hair was frizzy and her skin tingled from being struck with the lightning the plant had called down. Sighing, Natalie turned to check on Matt and Lance. Matt was okay, if looking irritated, but Lance was sitting down and delicately prodding his stomach and legs. "Need a heal, Lance?" Natalie called over. She popped a quick heal spell on the gunner when he nodded.

Lance stood back up, "Thanks, Natz. Good job taking out the healer."

"I didn't realize the yellow flower was a healer," Natalie said with a confused frown, gesturing over at the ash pile that was all that remained of the plant.

"It was over in the trees," he frowned when the mage looked confused, "That wasn't you?" Natalie shook her head, "Huh, I thought for sure that since it had caught on fire that-" he broke off as Anna dropped out of the tree to land next to him, bow in hand. "It was you, then, Anna?"

Anna nodded, "Yup, I heard you guys fighting on my way down and when I got there," she gestured up at the branch she had just jumped from, "I saw a white flower back in the trees, so I shot it."

Lance nodded, "It must've been the healer, good work." He then glared at her, "Now about this insane tree climbing…"

The ranger sighed, "Look, just because it would have been 'insane' for you, doesn't mean it was for me, okay?" Lance opened his mouth to argue, but Anna cut him off, "It was the smart thing to do, and you know it. I didn't get hurt, I didn't need help, and I found out where we need to go."

Lance grumbled, but didn't argue, "Fine. So, which way is it?"

Anna gestured northeast, "We need to head that way, which will eventually lead us to the river; if we follow it for long enough, we'll come to a bridge that we need to cross. After that, it's a straight path east until we hit the ocean." She grinned suddenly, "Oh! And I saw a big white structure along the way! I think it's the old ruins of an ancient cat civilization that people claim used to be around here. It's on our way; can we stop to see it? There's probably tons of loot just waiting to be found there!"

Matt's eyes lit up, "Loot? Point the way, and I'm there!"

"Well, if it's on our way, then I don't see why not," Natalie mused. "What do you think, Lance?"

The gunner shrugged, "Works for me."

With their course decided, Anna led the way through the trees heading northeast. Along the way, they fought a number of slimes, bushes, and cats- much to Natalie's dismay.

It wasn't long before the party heard the rushing sound of water. They came out of the trees next to the river and followed it upstream until they reached a large suspension bridge hanging across the river. Hacking down the weird flowers attempting to block their way, the four stepped up to, and crossed over the river. On the other side, a large red flower dominated the path. A horrible smell emanated from the plant.

"Ugh, it's worse than that pool of toxic waste at the factory," Natalie complained with an arm across her nose.

"It's coming from that flower; I think it's out to kill us," Lance groaned, eyes watering.

"I dunno, I kinda like this smell," Anna commented.

Natalie coughed, "No offence, Anna, but you live in a tree."

Matt gasped, "Low blow! That's racist, Natz!"

Anna glared at the mage, "Is there a problem with living in a tree?"

"No, no! It's very... Natural," Natalie said. She elbowed Matt and hissed, " _Stop helping._ "

The ranger continued glaring suspiciously at the mage until Lance broke in, "Uh, I think the smelly flower is moving."

The other three turned their attention back to the massive plant just in time to see it burst up out of the ground in an explosion of dirt and rocks. As the cloud of dust settled, the face of the plant monster was revealed. It had a mouth stretching halfway around its head, lined with crooked teeth. Pink eyes glared out at the party from just under the petals of the massive red flower it wore as a crown. A rumbling sound was heard and thick vine-like roots burst out of the ground all around the monster, each with a hard, jagged spear head. Rafflesia opened its massive jaws and let out a screeching roar. The stench already emanating from the plan became even more oppressive.

"I changed my mind; this flower stinks, in more ways than one," Anna groaned, her nose scrunched up in an attempt to keep from smelling.

Lance watched as a green liquid dripped off of one of the vines to fall on the ground where it sizzled and steamed. "Looks like some kind of acid, maybe a really strong poison. Be careful not to get hit by it, guys," the gunner warned.

"How are we even supposed to get close, then? The vines are completely surrounding it," Matt complained.

Rafflesia grew impatient waiting for its prey to approach and sent a couple of smaller tendrils lashing out towards Lance. Anna fired an arrow that pinned one of the vines to the ground, while Lance twisted out of the way and sliced the second one into two pieces, just below the point. The giant plant let out an eerie howl. "It looks like they can be sliced off. If we can take out enough of them, maybe you can get in close; until then, just use eruption or cover Natz," Lance said. He glanced over at Anna and Natalie briefly, "Try to get as many arrows between those vines as you can. Natalie, use some mass attacks; Firestorm and Icestorm should do the trick." The mage and ranger each nodded and Matt stepped closer to Natalie to guard her from any attacks sent her way.

Lance lowered the targeting visor over his eye and snapped off a Sniper Shot. The bullet flew between the vines and slammed into Rafflesia's mouth, taking off one of the large teeth. The vines surrounding the monster began thrashing wildly before striking out in all directions. At the same time, Natalie cast an Icestorm spell and a miniature blizzard swirled around the creature, freezing some of the lashing vines. Matt hacked off the one still heading in their direction; the severed piece flopped around briefly before falling still. Anna sprang over one tendril and tumbled under another. Lance deflected the point away from his torso and then immediately brought his gunblade about in an upward slash to separate another poisonous head from its vine.

About half of the vines defending the plant were incapacitated, so Matt lunged forward to deliver a few slashes across Rafflesia's face before falling back again to stand near Natalie. The giant plant screeched with pain and rage and a thick vine thrashed towards the nearest fighter- who happened to be Anna.

Lance was on the opposite side of the monster when he heard a scream from the ranger. His heart beat wildly as he called out, "Anna!? Are you okay?" He ducked under another vine and pulled the large rifle off of his back for a Flame Burst. The fire attack swept across the vines, incinerating some and leaving others smoldering. "Anna?" Lance called again.

There was another second of no reply, but then the ranger finally answered. "I'm okay. One of the vines scraped my leg and it stung like hell. My armor is enchanted to resist poison, though, so I escaped that," Anna called back in reassurance.

Natalie unleased a Firestorm spell and flames engulfed Rafflesia. When the conflagration died out, the main body of the monster was still there, covered in burns, but all the vines had disappeared. The pink eyes of the plant glared at the mage from its badly burned face.

"Great work, Natz!" Matt cheered as he ran forward to slash at the monster some more. His dash came to an abrupt stop as he felt a rumbling underneath his feet.

"What's up, Matt?" Anna asked as she saw Matt glance down at the ground in confusion.

Lance fired a double shot at Rafflesia. "Hurry up and stab the-" An explosion of dirt immediately followed by a piercing shriek cut him off mid-order.

Anna, Lance, and Matt whipped around to gape at the dense forest of vines that had appeared around Natalie. The mage's earlier Firestorm hadn't burned them off, after all. Instead, the creature had opted to pull them all underground and take the hit. The thrashing tendrils surrounding Natalie pulled back into the ground one-by-one to reveal the mage lying still on the ground, her staff not far away. Blood flowed from numerous cuts on her body and, as her three horrified friends watched, some of the scrapes began to turn a sickly green color.

Matt stared at Natalie's broken form lying on the ground and a loud roaring filled his mind. Distantly, he heard Lance swear and Anna scream for the mage as she ran to her side, but it was all muffled by the rush of anger filling the swordsman. Matt gripped his Heaven's Gate so tightly his knuckles turned white and he turned to Rafflesia. The massive plant monster seemed almost amused as its gleaming pink eyes connected with the enraged swordsman's frozen blue glare. The stare was broken as Rafflesia's vines surround it once more, swaying mockingly. The roar filling Matt's mind finally came out of his mouth and he lunged forward, body glowing with enough power to distort the air around him, sword raised overhead.

Lance's head snapped around from staring at where Natalie lay poisoned and bleeding, to gape at Matt. The sound coming from the swordsman was almost inhuman in its fury. An aura of pure power radiated from both Matt's body as well as his sword, making the air around him shimmer and bend. As Lance watched, Rafflesia attempted to stop Matt by throwing up a solid wall of vines, but the swordsman merely slashed through them as if they were made of paper; his power extending the reach of his weapon with an invisible blade. Primal fear flickered in Rafflesia's eyes as Matt broke through its defense and it screeched in pain as the first blow fell. Blindingly fast strikes rained down from all sides and the monster's screech was cut off as its body was sliced to ribbons. The aura faded from around Matt and he stood there panting, leveling the remains of Rafflesia with a look of such cold fury that Lance shivered.

Anna was frantically playing Refresh on her flute, but she could not heal Natalie's wounds fast enough on her own. Blood still oozed from several of the gashes and red lines ran from the green surrounding the cuts, crisscrossing in an angry web over the mage's skin. Anna stopped playing briefly to snap at the frozen gunner staring at Matt, "Damnit Lance, be impressed later and call one of your Medipacks down right now! I can't heal her fast enough and I don't even know if this spell cures poison!" As soon as the ranger saw Lance's attention snap back to the matter at hand, she resumed playing her healing magic.

Lance pulled out his handheld radio and called in for some emergency supplies. Seconds later a box marked with a red cross drifted down. As soon as it was within reach, Lance snatched it out of the air and tore open the lid, fishing out a bottle of liquid medicine and a syringe. Tearing the wrapping off the needle, the gunner swiftly measured out the correct amount and injected it into Natalie's stomach. Matt finally walked away from the corpse of the monster to watch with a pale face as Lance and Anna worked to save Natalie. He turned away, unable to bear seeing Natalie's grey face and trembling form as her body fought for air.

For a terrifying minute, there was no change except for the gradual slowing of Natalie's breathing. "C'mon, Natz, don't give up," Lance growled under his breath, dripping some of the medicine into the mage's mouth. Anna was swaying where she sat; sweat dripping down her face as she started up another round of healing magic. Finally, the two healers saw the red lines of the poison recede and Lance heaved a sigh of relief, causing Matt to turn back around hopefully. With the poison finally gone, the gashes themselves began to quickly knit shut. There were a few shallow cuts left when Anna's healing song cut off abruptly and the ranger slumped sideways to the ground. Lance twisted his head sideways to stare at her in concern only to turn back when Natalie let out a low groan.

Matt knelt down and grabbed the mage's hand, giving it a squeeze. "Natalie? Can you hear me?" he called hopefully with a shaking voice. His heart skipped a beat when the mage's eyelids fluttered open to reveal a glazed pair of blue eyes. Natalie stared at Matt uncomprehendingly. "Natz?" he asked worriedly.

The girl's eyes slid shut again and she swallowed thickly before opening her mouth. "I'll never protect the environment ever again. Screw the rainforests," she whispered hoarsely. Lance and Matt let out matching laughs of relief; though Matt's was slightly hysterical. He leaned down to kiss Natalie's forehead as Lance turned to check on Anna.

The ranger was unconscious, but breathing steadily. Lance let out a sigh of relief and gathered her in his arms before standing up. He turned to find Matt had done the same with Natalie and the two walked side-by-side out of the clearing, following the river.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Distantly, Anna could hear the sounds of two voices arguing. She rolled her head sideways with a small groan in an attempt to escape the noise that set her already aching head pounding and the two voices faltered and fell silent. Peace achieved, the ranger stilled and began absently wondering where she was and why the heck her head hurt so much. Apparently the pair fighting nearby took her stillness to mean she had fallen back asleep as they began fighting once again- albeit more quietly than before. The voices were familiar, Anna realized as she returned to her senses.

"For the last time: just because you killed it with fire, doesn't mean the meat is cooked," one voice said, definitely male and definitely exasperated.

"I'd eat it," the second voice, also male, said in a matter of fact tone.

An aggravated sigh was heard and then, "I know you would, and you're welcome to the food poisoning. However, I still think Anna, Natz, and I would rather eat food that is definitely safe."

"It is safe! I cooked it and everything!" the second voice defended.

"You didn't cook that cat; you engulfed it in a pillar of fire and it died," the first voice snapped impatiently, "And we already covered this at least five times now! Just go out there and find some fruit or nuts or something." A low grumble followed by the sounds of shuffling footsteps and a quiet sigh was heard and then there was silence.

Anna pried her eyes opened to find she was lying on her back, staring up at patches of a deep orange sky through the branches of a tree. Her camping blanket was underneath her and a rolled-up cloth of some sort was tucked under her head to serve as a pillow. For a moment, Anna just blinked up at the sky wondering hazily about how she got into the middle of a forest. She slowly sorted through the jumbled memories in her head, attempting to piece them together into an order that made sense: robo-squash, tree, bridge, smelled-like-death-flower, poison, blood, Natalie-

"Natalie!" Anna shouted; shooting upright as everything came rushing back with perfect clarity. A yell of shock came from the ranger's right and she twisted sharply to look. Immediately, Anna's head pounded and she fell back down with a groan of pain. The ranger heard the sound of footsteps coming up next to her through the rushing of blood in her ears and she cracked one eye open to see who it was. Lance's worried face swam into view and Anna opened her other eye. Forcing her own discomfort aside, the girl tried to sit up again only to find the gunner's hand on her shoulder holding her down. "Where is she? Did she make it? Is she okay?" Anna asked, green eyes pleading for an answer.

"Calm down, Natz is fine," Lance ordered. He took his hand off of her shoulder when she relaxed as the statement sank in. Anna maintained her stare, demanding details without words. "We neutralized the poison and healed the worst of her wounds. If you had bothered to look to your left instead of giving me a heart attack, you would've seen that she's sleeping right next to you," Lance assured her.

Anna rolled her head to the side and sure enough, there was Natalie sleeping soundly not three feet away. Heaving a sigh of relief, the ranger turned back to face Lance, "Where are we?"

Lance shrugged, "Still in Lankyroot. We got far enough away from that plant, following your directions, to escape from the smell and set up camp." He frowned at her, "You pushed yourself too far with the healing and passed out."

Anna flushed at the mild scolding, but stared defiantly back at him, "I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving my friends." A gurgling sound from her stomach cut off any argument and, the ranger' flush deepened, "So, what's for dinner? I heard you and Matt arguing about cooked meat when I first woke up."

With a snort, Lance motioned over to a pile of dead cats nearby; one of which was smoking. "Bon appetite, if you want it," he offered sarcastically. "Those stupid fur balls attacked us and I suggested eating one after we beat them and Matt thought we could kill two tasks with one Eruption."

Anna stared at him for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter, head ache and grumbling stomach momentarily forgotten. "That sounds like something he would try," Anna said with a wide grin on her face. The grin faded as Lance stared at her, "Lance? You okay?"

A faint blush rose on the gunner's cheeks and he shook himself. Turning to open one of his Medipacks sitting nearby, Lance fished a small bottle out and poured two capsules into the palm of his hand. "I'm fine. Matt should be back soon with something to eat. In the meantime, here's a painkiller for that headache mana drain always leaves." Anna carefully sat up and gratefully accepted the offered pills and a canteen of water.

The pair sat there in silence until the snapping of branches announced Matt's return. The swordsman walked out of the brush with a small sack in one hand. He waved at the now awake Anna with a relieved smile as Lance stood up to check what he had found for food. The gunner tipped the sack over near the fire and an assortment of mushrooms and nuts poured onto the ground. Anna stiffened as a familiar sweet scent drifted past her nose. The ranger carefully stood up and staggered over to where Matt was about to pop a couple orange mushrooms into his mouth. She half lunged and half tripped into his arm, smacking the fungi out of his hands and into the fire. Lance jumped as the mushrooms turned the flames a bright purple.

"Hey, I was about to eat those!" Matt whined, oblivious to the fact that the fungi had burned a most unnatural color.

Anna gaped at the swordsman in disbelief, "Do you _want_ to be hearing colors and seeing sounds for the next twenty-four hours?"

Matt frowned, not understanding, "We ate those on our last quest with no problems."

Anna turned her incredulous stare on Lance, but before she could say anything a quiet voice spoke up, "I'm not healing you guys if you eat something stupid again. You deserve the food poisoning."

"Hey, I remember you eating them, too. You thought you were a cupboard!" Lance exclaimed defensively.

"How the Hell have you guys _survived_ for this long? _Anyone_ with _any_ level of survival skills knows better than to eat random shrooms off the forest floor!" Anna yelled in exasperation, throwing her arms up in the air.

Suddenly it sank in who had spoken. Anna's arms fell back to her sides and the three near the fire twisted to stare at where Natalie lay. The mage looked back at them, her eyes reflected her exhaustion, but they were alert.

"Natz, you're awake!" Matt shouted, scrambling over to her side. He looked her face over carefully, "How're you feeling?"

Natalie huffed, blue eyes glinting with amusement, "Well enough to know better than to eat whatever it is you brought back." She chuckled at the put-out look on Matt's face. The mage glanced passed him to where Lance and Anna stood nearby with matching looks of concern. "I feel fine. I'm just tired," she assured them.

"You should eat and drink something before you go back to sleep," Anna said. She glanced back at the pile of 'food' Matt had brought back, "Unfortunately, it looks like you'll have to deal with dried meat."

"That's fine, just bring it over-" Natalie's sentence broke off as she yawned widely making the other three also yawn. "Sorry. I was saying hurry up before I conk out," she finished.

Lance yawned again and turned to dig some food out of his pouch only to spin back when Anna fell over backwards. "Anna?" he asked frantically. Matt peered over his shoulder worriedly and Natalie sat up to stare at her.

The girl blinked, but didn't respond for a few seconds. Suddenly, she smiled sheepishly, "Mind helping me back to my blanket? Apparently, I shouldn't be walking around yet."

"You don't say?" Lance snorted with a roll of his eyes. He slipped his arms behind her neck and knees and hoisted her up to carry her the short distance to her bed. "Don't get back up until tomorrow," he warned her.

Matt brought over a handful of jerky for Natalie and Anna and the four ate quietly. It wasn't long after that Matt curled up on his side next to Natalie and started snoring quietly. The mage rolled over to press her back to the swordsman's and fell asleep as well.

Anna grinned at the sight, "They're cute together." Lance nodded in agreement and settled down with his back against the trunk of the nearest tree. Anna watched him quietly, smiling faintly as he nodded off. She frowned as a thought occurred to her, " _I didn't set any wards and Lance fell asleep."_ Feeling pretty good since the painkillers had set in Anna decided to try getting up to set the wards. She listened intently to Lance's breathing to make sure he was actually asleep before quietly sitting up. Lance didn't stir so the ranger carefully and silently stood. She made it all of three steps before the gunner's voice came from behind her. Anna froze guiltily.

"What part of 'don't get back up until tomorrow' did you misunderstand?" Lance's voice was low to avoid waking Matt and Natalie, but no less irritated sounding.

Anna turned to face him, unable to meet his accusing red gaze. "I just thought I'd set some wards since it looked like you were asleep," she mumbled, shifting as she felt Lance's glare on her.

"I'm fine, get back on that blanket," Lance said dismissively. He mentally groaned as he saw Anna's face harden in defiance.

"Not until I set the wards. Everyone's tired, even you, from hiking through this jungle; never mind about fighting that stupid plant. It will only take a minute," Anna insisted, jaw set stubbornly.

The gunner pointed at her abandoned blanket, "I said I'm fine. Bed. Now. It isn't a hard concept."

Anna stared at him in disbelief. Her face settled into a glower, "That does it. I'm sick of you telling me I can't do something when it's obviously the right thing to do. I'm sick of you ordering me around like some kind of damned dog. I'm sick of you insulting my intelligence." Anna's voice had been steadily rising during her tirade, and she was ignorant of her two resting friends who had woken up to stare at her. "I'm sick of your overprotectiveness! I'm aware of my limits and I know I can get these wards set and back to bed just fine! I don't know what your problem is," a mild lie, she was fairly certain she knew what Lance's issue was, "but stop trying to keep me on a leash! I. Don't. Need. _You!_ " The last shouted word echoed through the trees. Anger lent extra strength to Anna's limbs and she swiftly set about placing some wards before she stormed back to her blanket, hissed a 'goodnight', and turned her back to the gunner with the blanket over her head. Exhaustion swept through Anna as the rage filling her vanished and she fell asleep.

Matt stared at the ranger in disbelief, wondering what the heck had happened. He glanced at Lance who had been oddly silent during her rant, but shrugged when he couldn't make out the gunner's expression from where he sat. The swordsman lied down again and was soon out once more.

Meanwhile, Natalie stared at Lance with one brow raised. Her face softened sympathetically as a sudden flare from the camp fire chased away the shadows covering the gunner's face to reveal a stricken expression. "Apologizing and offering an explanation would be a good idea," Natalie suggested before she curled back up against Matt and fell asleep.

Lance stared at Anna's sleeping form for a long while, turning Natalie's advice over in his mind before deciding that it was sound. He curled up under his own blanket and fell into a restless sleep.

**DDDDDD**

The next morning saw an awkward tension had fallen over the party. Anna was already up and gone when the other three woke. A brief note sitting on top of her folded blanket informed them that she had gone hunting. When the ranger returned she refused to even look at Lance as she skewered the cat she had caught and killed lurking nearby and set it over the fire. A short while later and she announced the food was done in a clipped voice, but left them to get their own portions.

Natalie arched a pointed eyebrow at Lance who nodded faintly in understanding. He turned to apologize to Anna only to find she was already done eating and stood on the far side of the clearing, ready to go. Suddenly not hungry anymore, Lance gave an enthusiastic Matt the rest of his roast cat and silently got ready to go as well. The gunner tried to make eye contact with Anna, but the ranger turned her back on him under the guise of scanning the forest for any possible trouble until Matt and Natalie joined them.

During their hike through the Jungle, Matt and Natalie tried to spark some form of conversation, but Anna's responses were clipped, often mono-syllabic, and half the time Lance didn't respond at all. It wasn't long until the couple gave up trying to get the arguing pair to talk and decided to converse with each other quietly.

Soon the four broke out of the trees to find themselves standing before the ruins of what was once a grand temple. A colonnade once extended to the entrance, but time and the elements had toppled many of the white marble pillars and they now lay on their sides, cracked and nearly covered with plant-growth. Vines grew up the sides of the white building and dangled off the roof and clumps of grass grew in the crack in the walls. Large statues of cats with angelic wings stood on either side of the entrance to the temple as though guarding whatever lay within.

Anna's stony glare lightened as she took in the spectacular sight. She sprang up the worn marble steps and disappeared inside. The other three followed close behind the excited ranger, gazing up in awe at the carved relief featuring cats and man side-by-side set over the mantle of the door. The three stepped inside the abandoned temple to find two pedestals flanking the door with beautifully formed rings of some kind of pure white metal etched with gold sitting on them. Four orbs inlaid with rubies and featuring angelic wings hovered around each ring, held there by some kind of ancient magic.

Soon the adventurers' attention was drawn to the altar set against the back wall. A hole in the ceiling cast a beam of light down on four sets of cobweb-coated armor that rested on the low platform. Three weapons leaned up against it. A cracked and dusty mural covering the wall behind the ancient equipment depicted a group of humans and cats allied in a struggle against…

"Is that Godcat?" Natalie asked in a hushed tone.

Indeed the large blueish-white form dominating the right side of the image could only be the creator of cat and man. She had Her arms raised against the army and there was a reddish shadow behind Her almost covered by Her image.

Matt shrugged and moved forward to inspect the ancient armor and weaponry set out before them, "So, were these used in that battle?"

Anna stood next to him and picked up the massive, gleaming angel wing bow. She could feel the holy energy radiating out of the weapon. "They must've been. I've never felt such strong magic from a weapon's enchantment before," she said, wonder coating her words. She traced her fingers over the carved wings that made up the arms reverently before she decided that she would use it in their next battle and slid her Crimson Dragon into her Adventure Pouch. She picked up the black dress that had been carefully laid out on the altar behind the bow and noted that it slid like liquid shadow over her hands. The dress and a pair of obsidian hair clips were also stashed.

"Dibs on the Golden Armor," Matt said, scooping up the dusty golden plate-mail and its matching golden helm.

Lance stood next to him and rolled his eyes before he admired the chest piece of his new armor. The orange scale mail and its helm looked as though they had actually been forged from a dragon's scales. Lifted the armor, he was surprised to discover just how light it actually was. The gunner made a face at the sword leaning near the armor, "Here Matt, you can have the blade; I'll take this armor."

Matt grinned and snatched up the longsword. Age had not rusted the enchanted blade and Matt easily slid the sword from its sheath to reveal that not only was the hilt etched with glowing runes, but so was part of the blade. "Nice," Matt murmured giving the slender yet deceptively heavy sword an experimental swing. A trail of light magic sparkled along the arc of the slash.

Natalie held up a long skirt made of white silk stitched with gold and carmine thread and its matching top. She admired the craftsmanship for a moment before carefully folding them and stuffing them away in her Adventure pouch. Next she held up the gleaming silver staff that was leaned against the altar in front of the clothing. Silver wings stretched out on either side of a gleaming crystal that radiated light mana at the head of the rod. A small ruby was nestled at the joints of the wings. "It's beautiful. And powerful," Natalie whispered.

Lance stepped closer to the mural and ran a hand over one of the cracks, "These cracks have too clean of edges for them to be natural." He stepped back again to stare up at the mural. "Maybe I'm imagining this, but they look like giant claw marks."

Anna stepped back to stand next to him, their spat momentarily forgotten. "You're right; they do look like some giant creature used this wall as a scratching post."

The temperature of the temple plummeted and hissing laughter echoed in the party's minds. They stiffened as a wave of unholy power swept over them. As one, they spun around to see Godcat hovering before them. Unlike in the Crystal Caverns when She had appeared as a bluish-white feline with arms, legs, emanating a brilliant white glow, the Godcat that hovered before them now seemed to suck light away, leaving only a stygian shadow tinged with a bloody red outline and pair of burning eyes. The magic sweeping over them was not the cold, impassive might they had felt before. This time, they could feel the ancient power battering them, its waves promising bloody and painful destruction.

"This one's different from the last one," Natalie murmured, griping her new staff tightly.

Lance and Anna moved closer to Matt and Natalie, eyes locked on the threat that had appeared. "Not another glowing cat," the gunner said, "one was bad enough!"

A spitting voice echoed through their minds, " _I came here to admire My servant's desecration of this disgusting monument of My imprisonment. I did not expect to have the pleasure of ending the rats who would attempt to prevent My return._ "

Natalie swallowed heavily at the blatant threat coloring the immortal cat's words. She raised her new Seraphim staff and cast Shine. Instead of a blinding flash of light surrounding her enemy, however, a runic circle appeared beneath the floating cat and holy energy blasted up from the floor. Natalie's jaw dropped at the massive Judgement that engulfed Godcat and she cast a glance at her new staff. " _It must give holy attacks a major power boost,_ " the mage realized. The pillar of light faded, but Godcat was nowhere to be seen.

Lance's eye darted around the temple, searching for their foe. He couldn't _see_ Godcat, but he could sense Her malevolent energy nearby, mocking them. The gunner tightened his grip on his gunblade and brought it up to bear on a flicker of shadow hovering near Matt. "Matt! Get down!" Lance yelled. The swordsman dove to the floor just as the cat slashed past his head; a claw mark made of pure shadows tore the air above Matt before they rippled and vanished. A shot rang out, but the goddess merely fazed through the bullet.

Matt growled and swung his Rune Blade in a gleaming arc towards Godcat. The sword passed through Her form as She once again fazed to dodge the blow, but seemed to have trouble materializing again. He blinked as Her body flickered uncertainly for a moment before solidifying once more.

" _My, you_ are _pathetic. In the time you've spent here, trying to hit Me I have destroyed entire armies._ " The mocking voice of Godcat slithered through their minds as She melted back into the shadows once more. A glowing red ring formed under Anna and the ranger flung herself to the side just before the pillar of unholy energy burst upwards, sizzling as it split the air.

Anna rolled up to her feet and nocked three arrows on her new bow. She stood stock-still until she sensed a stronger disturbance in the ancient power surrounding them. The ranger swung around and unleashed her arrows in a Combo Shot right as Godcat materialized. The arrows flashed with light as they flew towards the goddess. There was a spitting-hiss before the cat flickered out of sight once more and two arrows shattered against the wall of the temple. "I hit Her!" Anna said in shock even as she turned her head around to see where the goddess would appear next. A chill ran through Anna as she felt an ethereal paw settle against her spine, as cold as death.

"Anna!" Lance yelled. He took a one step forward before something caused him to halt abruptly. The gunner paled as he seemed to listen to something.

" _I admit I am impressed, girl. If only you had been the one My servants had approached instead of that worthless fool._ " Godcat purred silkily into Anna's mind sending a shudder through her entire body. " _The_ _boy harbored quite an impressive desire to see you destroyed; a human after My Own heart. He sought out My faithful and offered himself to kill you four, you know. He had an impressively devised plan, too. Of course, he was too weak actually to carry it out._ " Godcat's voice extended to the whole party, _"A shame, really; though, I suppose I should be pleased that I get to enjoy destroying you four personally._ "

Horrifying images flashed through their minds. Matt slumped against a wall, with Heaven's Gate impaled in his torso. Natalie face-down in a large pool of her own blood, her staff broken in half next to her limp hand. Lance lying broken on the ground; his red eyes staring sightlessly upwards a trickle of blood running between them. Anna with her neck twisted at an unnatural angle and her face pale in death.

" _Know that what I show you now are only the simplest of My ways to kill you pathetic humans. The weapons you found here might have been enough for the fraction of power I could send, but they will not protect you when next we meet._ " The threatening paw at Anna's back vanished along with the aura of destruction.

Silence fell broken by the clattering sound of Natalie dropping her Seraphim staff to wrap her arms around herself, shivering. Matt sheathed his sword and pulled the mage into a tight hug, faintly trembling as well. Anna stood frozen; her face a mask of shock as her glazed eyes stared blankly forwards, seeing something that wasn't there. Lance hesitantly stepped closer to the ranger. He reached a hand out and set it lightly on her shoulder. The contact caused Anna to jolt; her green eyes slid into focus on Lance's face. She gave him a small fake smile and stepped back from the gunner whose hand fell back to his side.

Lance swallowed the faint feeling of hurt at her rejection and turned to ask, "Is everyone okay? No injuries?" Nods came from everyone.

Anna's face set in determination, "She hasn't been completely released yet. If she had, we'd be dead. There's still time to get to the last Jewel." She met each of her friend's eyes briefly and saw resolve on each of their faces. "Let's hurry to Goldenbrick; we're almost there."

Natalie gave Matt one more quick squeeze and scooped up her dropped staff. The four headed for the exit only to stop as the decorative rings by the door glowed and drifted in front of the door to block the way. The four scowled at the pair and Lance immediately fired a dark shot at left-hand ring. The dark magic engulfed the enemy, and when the attack dissipated the ring had fractures running along its surface. Matt lunged forward and swept the ring into the wall where it shattered. Natalie cast a Pulse spell on the second ring, weakening the construct for Anna to finish off with an Aqua Arrow.

The four barely glanced at the destroyed guardians of the ruins as they dashed past them and back into the trees. A few minutes of jogging and Matt commented that he could smell salt. Their pace increased and they broke out of jungle to find themselves standing on a sheer drop off overlooking the vast blue ocean. A strong sea-breeze tossed the group's hair and clothing as they stood side-by-side, staring out across the water. Down a steep path to their right, they could see the low, flat, baked-brick buildings of their destination; Goldenbrick Resort.


	20. Chapter Twenty

Anna's eyes sparkled as she gazed out across the endless blue ocean, "I've never seen this much water in one place before!"

Lance blinked in surprise, "You've never been to the sea before?" He briefly wondered if she would even respond since she was still mad at him, and for a few seconds Anna remained silent. Lance let out a silent sigh before stiffening in surprise when the ranger spoke up.

"No, before I met you guys the furthest I'd even been from Greenwood was Mighty Oak's shrine," Anna said, glancing briefly at Lance. Her eyes no longer sparked with irritation, but they weren't overly friendly either. "Maybe, after we're done saving the world, we can go swimming," Anna suggested turning to Matt and Natalie.

Matt nodded with a grin. Natalie's face, however, was twisted in mild distaste as she glanced down at the distant beach. "I dunno. Last time we went swimming _somebody_ took pictures of me and I found them in a magazine later," Natalie glanced pointedly at Lance who was conveniently looking elsewhere.

Anna stared at the side Lance's face, "You _took pictures_ of Natalie while she was playing in the ocean? Why?"

Natalie clapped a hand over Anna's mouth as Lance turned with a smirk on his face, "Don't answer that, Lance," Natalie warned with a glare and heated cheeks. Lance's smirk widened, but he kept his mouth shut. The mage removed her hand from the other girl's mouth, ignoring the confused look on her face, and turned to the path leading to the town, "Before we start planning any beach parties, let's make sure the Goldenbrick Jewel is still there."

Lance started down the narrow path with Natalie behind him. Matt followed next with Anna bringing up the rear. A short hike later and the group finally stepped off the stony path onto the warm sandy beach of Goldenbrick Resort. They four stood there for a few seconds wondering which way to go when a clamor came from behind a low rectangular building. The party exchanged glances and began to head for the noise. The sounds of shouting and yowling were heard before one voice rose above the noise crying, "They've taken the Jewel!"

Anna broke into a sprint followed closely by the others and they skidded around the corner to see a large group of Cats scurrying away from the stone altar of Goldenbrick. At the head of the line, three large glowing crystals could be seen bobbing away. Anna snatched her Angel Wing bow off of her back and nocked an arrow. She fired the arrow in a long arc and immediately followed up with several more in a blur of motion. A flash of light gleamed when the first arrow reached the height of its arc and there were a dozen arrows, intermixed with streaks of light, in the air before they came down in a deadly hail on the swarm of cats.

With a low, impressed whistle at the display, Lance loaded six bullets into his gun blade and gunned down six cats. One of the ones he struck was carrying a Jewel. The glowing crystal rolled across the ground before a different cat scooped it up and kept going. About a fourth of the swarm turned and came back to attack the group attempting to stop them. Lance grunted in irritation and lobbed a weighted net onto the approaching cats, holding a half-dozen of them in place for him to shoot.

"Poor cats," Natalie said with a sniff. Her love for the creatures didn't stop her from casting a firestorm spell, however. The flames swirled over the cats, killing some and burning others. A Shockwave spell came next and the invisible wave of air flung wailing cats in all directions.

Matt had a huge grin on his face as he waded into the thick of the writhing mass of fur swinging his Rune Blade in all directions. Bits of fur flew as the swordsman hacked away at the screeching cats. One thought it could jump on the swordsman from behind, but Matt, sensing the impending tackle, ducked and the cat flew into the face of a second cat. The pair tumbled hissing and spitting until the swordsman killed them both with one swing.

A brief, but bloody, ten minutes later and silence finally fell as the last cat was slain. The party stood there, surveying their work as a guard wearing gleaming armor ran up from where she had been watching the entire time. "That was incredible! I've never seen so many enemies taken down by such a small group before! I'd have helped, but our village holds cats as sacred so we're not allowed to hurt them."

Lance turned to the woman, "Those 'sacred' fur balls just came up, stole, and ran off with Goldenbrick's Jewel. You should have helped."

The woman flinched back at the glare he leveled at her, "Hey, rules are rules."

"Useless," Lance muttered, dismissing the guard. He turned and walked over to the other three, "Now what?"

Anna's face was bleak as she stared after the departed cats, "That was probably our last chance to stop them."

"The sky isn't turning black and stormy or anything, though," Matt said glancing up at the sky. "Well, the sun is setting, but I don't think that counts."

"We won't be able to find them in the dark," Natalie sighed, "Let's go find an inn and track them in the morning."

Overhearing their conversation, the guard offered, "There's an inn right on the beach with some open rooms. Tell them the Jewel's guard sent you and they should be happy to give you a discount." Anna nodded her thank to the woman and the party turned towards the beach to find the inn.

The building was two stories tall and set right on the ocean-front. Waves could be heard crashing on the nearby shore as the party headed inside. Natalie went up to the counter and relayed the guard's message to the person behind the desk. A handful of gold was exchanged for a key. With a bright smile, Natalie turned back to the others, "We got the rooms at half-price and meals for free."

Matt's face lit up, "Where do we order?"

"Don't eat too much and make them change their minds," Natalie warned, as she waved him towards a door at the back. Matt breezed past her and through the door. "I suppose that was a hopeless warning, huh? Maybe I should give them some money just for Matt," Natalie mused with a grin.

Anna grinned, "Might be a good idea. That, or go keep an eye on him." The mage nodded at the suggestion and followed her boyfriend through the door.

The remaining two stood there, awkwardly avoiding each other's eyes. Finally, Lance turned and looked at Anna. The ranger glanced at him occasionally, but didn't say anything. With a sigh, the gunner strode over to the dining hall and poked his head inside the door. "I'm going for a walk with Anna. We'll be back later," he informed the two eating. Matt gave him a grin and thumbs up with his mouthful of food, while Natalie waved him off with a wink.

The ranger was staring at him when he returned, but didn't say anything as he held the door open for her. He half expected Anna to tell him 'no' and was pleasantly surprised when she merely headed out the door. Anna followed Lance in silence as he walked out into the night and turned towards the beach. After a few minutes of walking across the sand with Anna shooting a few glances his way, Lance came to a stop near the water. He swallowed heavily as he turned and met Anna's hard gaze, "I wanted to apologize." Her eyes softened some and she waited patiently as he paused to gather his thoughts. "I'm sorry for constantly insulting you. I'm sorry for telling you not to do things when you are the best, maybe only, person to do them. I'm sorry for constantly being so overprotective; I know you can take care of yourself."

Anna listened silently to Lance's apology. She had a hunch that saying sorry wasn't all he wanted to tell her, so she waited patiently as he turned his head to look out across the waves. The moon was still mostly full and its light glittered silver on the ocean and turned the normally golden sand to gleaming white. The sea wind blew hair across her face and she lifted one hand to tuck the loose strands back behind her ear. Finally, Lance turned back to meet her eyes and Anna was captivated by the depth of seriousness and nervousness in his crimson eyes.

"Natalie suggested I tell you why I've been so controlling about what you do," Lance said, his words were so quiet that they were almost drowned out by the crashing of waves on the shore. "I don't," he broke off to swallow, before continuing, "have a lot of friends; literally, it's just Matt, Natalie, and you. It scares me when one of you guys gets seriously hurt; either from an enemy attack or from stupid decisions. I tend to snap at you guys when you scare me, and I'm sorry." He fell silent, watching Anna's face nervously as she mulled his explanation over.

"But, you don't tell Matt he can't go charging into enemies, swinging his sword like lunatic; and he gets hurt doing that a lot," Anna finally said quietly. "You don't tell Natalie she has to stop healing people when her mana's running too low. I think I'm the only person you've been seriously trying to keep from doing dangerous things. Why?" Anna studied Lance's face until he turned away again, "Is it because you don't trust my abilities?" Lance shrugged. "I know I've done some stupid stuff on this quest, running off on my own to the factory and jumping to a mat of twigs in a flooded river being two of them, but some of the actions you've argued with me over were actions I was best suited for. Things like summoning Mighty Oak to beat the Crystal Golem, or climbing that tree to figure out where we are, or healing Natalie when she was critically wounded."

Lance frowned, "I trust your abilities just fine. You have more than shown you can do everything you've trained to do."

"So, what; you don't trust me?" Anna asked, her face falling slightly.

The gunner whipped his head around, "Of course I trust you."

"Then what makes me so different from Matt and Natz?" Anna demanded.

"What's different is that I care about your wellbeing more than I do theirs!" Lance froze as soon as the words were blurted out. Hastily, he tried to recover, "I-I mean, I care about whether they're hurt or not, but you- I-" he covered his face with his hands. "Please forget I said anything and shoot me," Lance muttered, wishing he could sink into the sand.

Anna stared at the flustered man next to her as he flopped to sit on the sand, pointedly looking away from her; the heavy blush clear on his face even in the pale light of the moon. She lowered herself to sit next to Lance on the cool sand and touched his arm. He still refused to look at her. "It's okay. Natalie already told me about your crush," Anna murmured.

Lance finally twisted to stare at her with a look of shock, "She what?" His face fell and he looked away again, mumbling, "Well, this is humiliating." He wondered if he could bury himself here since the beach didn't seem to be made of quicksand and wouldn't do it for him.

Anna stared at him in confusion, "Why would liking me be humiliating? I mean sure, I don't get what you see; I'm good with a bow and woodcraft, but those hardly seem like things you'd go looking for in a girl." She frowned suddenly, "Is that why it's humiliating, because I'm just some random, ordinary ranger from a village in the woods?" Now that she thought about it, she really didn't see what Lance liked about her.

The gunner stayed silent for a long while, still not looking at her, and Anna assumed she had hit the nail on the head. The bitter tears of hurt were beginning to burn at the backs of her eyes when Lance finally spoke, "Do you know many girls—or guys—who would go out into monster-filled woods alone to track down three very dangerous people just because they stole something from a person in her village? Who would not only find them, but choose not to kill them when she had the chance?" He asked. Finally, Lance turned; his red eyes intent as they stared into Anna's green ones. "Do you know many girls who would risk their lives to go on a dangerous quest that would lead them further beyond their home than they had ever been before? Who would make the decision, no matter how foolish, to leave behind the people who had the experience to help her complete her quest because she didn't want them to get hurt—people she had barely known for three days?" Lance watched as tears formed in her wide eyes, "You push yourself to your limits and then passed them to make sure we are all right. When somebody gets hurt and Natalie isn't able to heal them, for whatever reason, you make sure they are all right. When you're hurting you hide it to make sure we don't worry. When Matt and Natalie were swept away by that river, your first action was to go find them, not keep pushing to find the missing Jewels." He shook his head slowly with his eyes still fixed on Anna's, "You are not some ordinary ranger, Anna. You are the bravest and most caring woman I have ever met." The tears in her eyes finally leaked down her cheeks. Lance reached out with a gentle half-smile and carefully wiped them away with the pad of his thumb, cupping her face when they were gone.

Anna leaned her face into Lance's calloused palm, still staring at him in disbelief. That had been, by far, the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to her in her entire life. She broke his light hold on her face to throw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. Lance stiffened slightly before relaxing and hugging her back. "How do you not have a girlfriend already?" She asked with a watery laugh, voice muffled against his shoulder, "that was the sweetest thing I have ever heard." She felt his chest vibrate as he chuckled.

"I'm not normally that eloquent." He pulled back slightly to look at her face. Anna's green eyes were shining brightly, reflecting the light of the moon, as she beamed up at him. Lance pulled her closer again, lowering his face to hers and sealing his mouth against her lips in warm kiss that she immediately responded to.

Whatever Anna had heard about magical first-kisses paled in comparison to the moment Lance pressed his lips against hers. It was like the rush of mana when using a powerful spell only twenty times stronger and better. She felt light-headed and giddy and her heart thumped in her chest as she pressed closer to him.

Unfortunately it couldn't last; their lungs demanded oxygen. Lance ran his tongue across her lower lip once before pulling back. "Wow," he said breathlessly.

Anna's heart was still racing as she licked her lips. "Wow," she agreed. She leaned into his side with a content smile, Lance wrapped an arm around her waist and they sat in silence, listening to the waves. Anna chuckled suddenly, "You know, when you said we were going for a walk I thought you were going chew me out for something again."

Lance laughed sheepishly, "I can see why you thought that; lectures have been the bulk of our most recent conversations." He looked down at her, "I'll try to curb the overprotectiveness, but please don't anything pointlessly reckless?"

"I don't generally do things for no reason, you know," Anna grumbled before sighing, "I'll avoid taking more risks than I absolutely have too."

A comfortable silence fell once more before Anna yawned. Lance stood up, "Let's go back to the inn and get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow, after all." He offered a hand to Anna, pulling her to her feet as soon as she grasped it. When they reached the inn door, Lance pushed it open to find Natalie standing there.

"Back on good terms?" the mage asked, glancing between the two.

Anna grinned widely and assured her, "Very good terms."

Natalie's eyebrows shot up as Lance brushed a quick kiss across Anna's cheek before walking through to the dining room. She smiled at the slightly dreamy look in Anna's eyes as she watched Lance leave, "I want all the details later."

"Later," Anna agreed, "Right now, though, I want some food and a pillow."

"I'll see you up in the room then?" Natalie asked. Anna nodded and started for the door Lance had disappeared through, "Oh, and can you Tell Matt I'm cutting him off?" The ranger laughed and waved her hand with a nod as Natalie headed up the stairs.

**DDDDDD**

A half hour later, Anna was telling Natalie about her and Lance's apology and kiss as she brushed her hair out.

"Aww, that's so sweet!" the mage squealed. "I didn't know Lance was such a smooth-talker, he never was before."

"Lance said something like that, too," Anna commented with a grin.

Natalie grinned back, "I'm a little jealous. Matt took forever to confess."

"I think Lance would have taken forever too if he hadn't accidentally spilled it," the ranger laughed.

"Probably," Natalie yawned, "I guess we should get to sleep, huh? I hope those cats didn't go too far. I'm almost ready to agree with Lance that they're evil."

Anna smirked as she put out the light and crawled under the blanket of the inn bed, "Well, they _are_ attempting to summon an insane goddess; I think that counts as evil. Goodnight, Natz."

"Good point," Natalie mumbled, 'Night, Anna." Both were soon fast asleep.

**DDDDDD**

The group left the inn early the next day, dressed in their new armor. Natalie's new white robes shimmered in the early morning light, almost seeming to exude a light of their own. The skirt reached almost to the ground, while the low cut top stopped short to reveal her toned stomach. An open, loose white coat covered her arms and fell to her waist. The mage's hair was tied up with her normal Red Ribbon in a ponytail. Her gleaming Seraphim staff was gripped tightly in her left hand.

Matt stood next to her, his Golden Armor reflecting the morning sunlight, gleaming faintly with defensive enchantments. Light bounced off the golden shoulder plates and wrist guards. Gold-studded, hardened leather covered his legs and arms. A Golden helmet sat on his head, the visor tilted up to reveal blond bangs hanging just over one eye and twin braids on either side of his face. He had his Rune Blade strapped across his back, the black and silver-etched hilt peeking out over his left shoulder.

Behind the pair, Anna's black dress was the opposite of the mage's. The fabric seemed to be made from pure shadows and caused her body to seem to melt into the shade of the overhang of the inn door, the effect only broken when she moved. Black fishnet connected the tight bodice to where the skirt flared out just below her knees as well as covered her legs until they disappeared into lightweight black leather boots. Her green hair had been fixed back from her face with the gleaming Dark Baubles she had found alongside the dress. The ranger's Angel Wing bow was held loosely in her left hand, the off-white carved arms standing out in stark contrast with her dark garb.

Lance stood just in front and to the right of Anna. The Dragon Armor he wore was formed of the scales of dragons and the gleaming pieces caught the light and made it look like the gunner was wearing a scale mail comprised of fire. Dragon skin pants clad his legs down to the matching boots. His red hair stuck out from under the orange half-helm sitting on his head; the front curving down to provide protection for his forehead, but left the bottom half of his face uncovered. He held his gunblade tightly in his left hand and had a massive black rifle strapped firmly to his back; red lines gleamed along the body and barrel of the gun.

Anna stepped out of the shade of the inn door and led the way to the Goldenbrick Altar. There, she picked up and followed the cat's trail to an ancient cat civilization ruin at the base of a mountain. They had only just begun exploring when Matt froze and pointed up the mountainside. Dark clouds had begun swirling and flashes of red and blue lightning. Smudges could be seen moving around a bright tricolor glow.

"Think those are the cats? They look like some kind of evil cult," Matt asked.

Anna squinted up the mountain, her face pale, "I think we're already too late. Godcat is probably being summoned right now."

"Maybe we should just find a nice cave to live in for the rest of our lives? I like that idea much more than being slain by an evil magical cat," Lance suggested nervously, Matt nodded in agreement.

Anna turned to stare at both of them, "Seriously?"

Natalie fixed the two men with a glare, "I happen to like living. I'm not going to sit here and wait for Godcat to mess everything up. We should head up there and see what we can do. Stop being cowards and let's go." With that, the mage started walking towards the columned entrance with Anna close behind her.

Lance glanced at Matt, "How come she's always the one completely unafraid of evil gods bent on killing us and yet she'll freak at wasps every time we see one, while we're doing the normal thing and being nervous?" The swordsman shrugged before the pair jogged to catch up with the two women as they walked into the cave.

Immediately the sickly-sweet smell of carrion mixed with the musty scent of reptiles assaulted their noses. A low rumbling growl echoed in the small cave and twelve red eyes gleamed out of the shadows. The source of the ominous snarls shifted their heads into the pool of light extending from the cave entrance. The echo wasn't actually an echo at all, but the throaty growl of three Black Dragons. Each drake had four red eyes, all gleaming with a feral hunger as saliva dripped from their massive fangs to pool on the floor. The party gaped at the massive beasts in front of them.

"How the heck did they get three dragons into one cave?!" Matt yelped.

"Question later, slay now," Lance snapped. "Focus on one at a time, starting with the far left." The party nodded and launched into combat against the three ancient beasts.

Matt charged forward and swung his Rune Blade across the left side of the dragon's face. With a screech of pain, the beast whipped its head wildly side-to-side, but missed Matt as he sprang backwards out of range. The bloody score left by the swordsman's blade ran right across the two eyes on the dragon's face, blinding them; the gash glittered faintly as holy magic continued to burn the creature. Natalie seized the opportunity created by the weakness to slip over to the dragon's blind side and she cast Judgment on the wounded monster. The circle appeared beneath the dragons head and blasted upwards right as Anna unleased an arrow rain over the creature. The drake was caught in a pincer of the two attacks and writhed, wildly roaring, until two bullets slammed home in its forehead and cut off its cries, curtesy of Lance. The Black Dragon thudded to the floor, dead.

"One down, two to go," Anna cheered, nocking three arrows for a Combo Shot. She didn't get the chance to fire them, however, as the remaining two dragons went on the offensive, enraged by the slaughter of their brethren. Their massive jaws gaped wide as they lowered their heads and unleased twin streams of black flames over the party. Anna gave preemptive yell only to break it off as the flames passed over her, barely stinging. " _Man, this is some nice armor,_ " she thought appreciatively as the flames subsided to reveal the entire party had weathered the onslaught with similar ease.

The dragons shifted back with surprised hisses at the ineffectiveness of their attacks. Matt grinned fiercely as he held one hand out in front of him, his sword propped on his shoulder. Natalie stepped up beside him and channeled her own mana into another judgement attack. To both of their surprise, they could feel their mana mixing, the power of their attacks doubling. The close proximity of their casting caused their attacks to fuse and when the Holy Sword pierced the next dragon, it was twice as large as normal, flickering with white flames. Glowing white runes spread out from the point of impact, shimmering briefly before bursting outward with blinding flashes and the dragon vanished, only a few ashes drifting to the floor.

Natalie's jaw dropped as Matt let out a long, impressed whistle at the devastation. The pair exchanged a high-five only to spin around at a scream from Anna. Lance was caught in the third dragon's jaws, teeth bared in a snarl of defiance as he strained to hold the fangs apart; his gunblade was on the floor near Anna as she nocked an arrow and fired it at one of the Black Dragon's eyes. The arrow pierced the glowing red orb, but not before the creatures long forked tongue wrapped around Lance's waist and swallowed the gunner whole. The three remaining fighters were frozen for all of two seconds before Anna screeched and snapped off an arrow that shone with a golden light. The Soul Arrow soared towards the drake and lodged deep in the monster's throat. The holy power of the arrow began burning away the black scales and skin, while the final dragon howled in agony. Suddenly, a pure white fire spread out from further down the beast's neck, and together the holy attacks spread across the dragon until nothing was left but bone. Lance squeezed out from between two curved bones in the neck of the skeleton, hauling his large rifle along behind him, and tumbled to the floor.

"Ugh, why am _I_ always the one that gets eaten?" Lance grumbled as he stood up, only to be knocked back down with a grunt when Anna tackled him with a hug. "Whoa! I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured her as he returned her hug. Looking up at Matt and Natalie, he said, "Next time, Matt gets eaten. Twice in two consecutive journeys is unfair."

Matt pouted as Natalie laughed, "How about we make it a policy to not get eaten, period. That seems better to me."

Lance shrugged as he detangled himself from Anna to stand, "I think that's an unspoken rule."

Anna stood up as well, "Let's make a new one that says ' _don't fight three dragons at once because there are too many heads to keep track of_ ,' instead."

The other three nodded with matching sighs as they walked around the remains of the dragons towards a pedestal standing alone in the center of the room. The four gathered around it to stare a crystal statue depicting a winged cat. It was about as large as their heads and glittered faintly in the dim lighting. Matt reached out to pick it up only for Anna to smack his hand back down.

"Don't touch it; this thing screams _trap,_ " Anna warned.

Matt rolled his eyes with a pout, "But it's loot! Besides, if taking it triggers a trap, then how come it's still sitting here, and where are the corpses of the would-be looters?"

Anna glared at him, "Ever heard of resetting a trap? Just don't touch it." Matt shrugged, but as soon as Anna took her immediate attention off of him, he grabbed the statue and lifted it up. Anna whipped back around. "Matt!" She yelled in exasperation, puffing up to start yelling at him.

Any further scolding was cut off as a grinding sound was heard from their feet and the four dropped out of sight down separate stone chutes.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

Anna had a strong feeling of déjà vu as stale, cold air rushed past her. This was just like in the Crystal Caverns, only no Lance to slow the fall. Just as she began to panic, the situation having sunk into her brain, the chute angled out to changing from a sheer drop to a steep incline. The ranger came shooting out to land with a loud crunching rattle in a pitch-black chamber. She lay there dazed for a minute until finally sitting up with a groan, her sore muscles protesting the movement. Anna tested each limb for any breaks or sprains before placing one hand on the ground to lever herself upright. Her palm pressed against something long and smooth, and she frowned. She picked up the object and ran her hands over it, trying to figure out what it was. It was about as long as her lower leg, tapering out to two knobby ends. Anna's eyes widened as she realized she was holding a bone and she flung the thing away with a small shriek.

The bone clattered against a wall, the sound echoing in the darkness. Anna closed her eyes and took a few deep, calming breaths, but stopped as all she could smell was the musty stench of death. " _It was just a bone. Be glad that it wasn't you,_ " she told herself. After a couple of minutes, the ranger opened her eyes again to try and spot any light. No luck, the blackness surrounding her was solid. A feeling of claustrophobia started to rise and she shoved it back down. "If there's no light then I'll just have to make my own," Anna said, her voice echoing.

Feeling for her Adventure Pouch, the ranger was relieved to find it still tied firmly at her waist. She tugged it open, reached in, and pulled out the small crystal Shawn had dug up for her what seemed like such a long time ago. Sending a silent thank you to the old researcher, Anna pushed her mana into the small rock and a soft green glow lit the area up for her to see. She almost wished she couldn't as she gave another small shriek as having realized that the crunch when she had landed had been her crushing a human ribcage. Shuddering, Anna scrambled to her feet, careful to avoid stepping on any of the other bones littering the area, making a beeline for the heavy iron door revealed by her crystal's glow.

Anna grasped the iron ring on the door that served as a handle and pulled tugged. The door didn't move. With a growl, Anna pulled harder. No change. The ranger let go of the door and pulled a piece of cord out of her Pouch. She quickly fashioned the crystal into a necklace and placed it around her neck. With her hands now free, Anna grabbed the iron ring with both hands, planted her feet firmly and heaved back on the door, using all her weight. The ranger gritted her teeth as a loud screeching filled the air and the door slowly slid open before grinding to halt with just enough of a gap for her to squeeze through.

Once out of the room, Anna found herself standing in a long hallway. The walls, ceiling and floor were comprised of large stone bricks. Water dripped from the ceiling, making the walls and floor wet and slimy. The persistent stench of death was mixed with that of mold. No other doors were in sight and there was no sign of movement.

" _Which way,_ " Anna wondered. The light of her crystal bounced off the damp walls, but did not reveal any difference in which direction she chose to go. The ranger hesitated before readying her bow and heading right. The wet sound of her footsteps echoed loudly in shadows as she walked and the crystal bouncing around her neck made the light cast eerie shadows on the uneven stone. Occasionally a drop of water would drip from the ceiling to land in a puddle and a plinking sound would echo. Anna walked for an indeterminate amount of time; her unchanging surroundings giving her the sensation that she was walking in place. A freezing drop of water landed on the back of her neck causing the ranger to jump and spin around. Her heart raced as she laughed weakly at her own jumpiness before continuing down the hall.

"Finally," Anna murmured as she came to the end if the long hall, marked with another heavy metal door. She grabbed the iron ring with both hands and heaved. The ranger fell backwards as the door came open much easier than the last one, swinging wide and slamming into the wall with an echoing boom. Anna flinched at the noise. The ringing in her ears faded to reveal a strange whispering sound. Anna stood up quickly with an arrow ready against the string of her bow and dimmed the light of her crystal slowly to allow her eyes to adjust the lower light. The source of the whispering finally revealed itself to be an Ice Wraith. The creature glowed faintly with a blue light so Anna cut off the remaining light of her crystal and raised her bow and drew the arrow back, hoping to destroy the ghost before it noticed her.

Letting the arrow fly, Anna screwed her eyes shut as the Wraith was engulfed in a bright flash of light. The monster vanished with a breathy shrieking wail that echoed in the darkness. Lowering her bow, Anna mentally patted herself on the back for killing the monster before it spotted her. Suddenly several Wraith-cries echoed from the shadows of the tunnel the Ice Wraith had come from. The ranger's eyes widened and she willed her crystal to brighten again as she took off in a sprint down the opposite tunnel.

Her breath coming in sharp gasps, Anna raced down the tunnel. She could hear the cries of the monsters behind her getting closer. " _I wish the others were here,_ " Anna thought as she ducked down a side passage. She pressed herself against the slimy wall wall and put out her crystal-light, praying that the wraiths would somehow miss her. She swallowed as five wraiths, two Ice and three Spark, came flying down the tunnel. They paused hovering at the intersection as though trying to decide which way their prey had gone. Anna's heart thundered in her chest so loudly she thought the monsters must be able to hear it. Finally, the two Ice Wraiths continued going straight while the three Spark Wraiths turned down the side tunnel Anna was in. And drifted right past where the ranger stood still against the wall.

Anna hardly even dared to breathe until the monster's drifted out of sight. She waited until she could no longer hear the whispering sound of their movement before she moved away from the wall. The ranger wondered how they had missed her standing there until she looked down at the dress from the ruined temple she wore. Anna jumped slightly as she realized that although she knew her body was there, she could hardly see it as it blended with the shadows. She let out a quite laugh of relief and understanding before she slipped around the corner to follow the Ice Wraiths.

The ranger walked until she came to a four way split in the tunnel and she paused wondering which way to go this time. A faint breeze tugged a loose hair over her face and Anna absently pushed the lock out of her vision. She froze suddenly, " _A breeze?_ " Anna excitedly closed her eyes and tried to tell which tunnel the breeze came from. Her eyes snapped open and took an arrow to mark the tunnel she chose before she headed down it. Another long walk later and Anna came out in a large circular room with a dirt floor covered in old rusty weapons. A hole in the ceiling far above her head let a dirty beam of light illuminate the room and was the source of the breeze. She had stumbled across an old arena.

Rapid thuds echoed out of the tunnel behind her and Anna ducked into the shadows at the edge of the arena, readying her bow for whatever came out.

**DDDDDD**

Lance had blasted his way out of the room he had landed in after Matt had triggered that trap and had been walking down an endless hallway ever since. " _Moron,_ " the gunner snarled mentally for the hundredth time as he rounded another corner. He continued walking, eyes scanning the tunnel lit by the red crystal he had duct-taped to the back of his hand. " _At least I have light,_ " Lance mused, turning another corner and coming face to face with three Spark Wraiths.

He stared at the floating monsters for a split second in shock; the wraiths seemed equally surprised as they simply hovered there staring back at him. The staring contest ended abruptly as Lance whipped the large Shadow Blaster rifle off of his back. Cursing the fact that he carried a weapon not suited for killing the undead, Lance unleashed a Holy Fire attack on the rightmost wraith. Not waiting to see if it killed the monster or to see what the other two did, Lance dashed past them and ran down the tunnel. Two echoing cries rang out behind him.

" _Good, at least one of them is dead-dead,_ " Lance thought with satisfaction as he hurtled around another corner. His feet slipped out from under him on a puddle and the gunner crashed into the wall. The wall made a strange clicking sound and flipped around, taking the stunned human with it. Not questioning the good luck, Lance stood and carefully listened for the Wraiths on the other side of the trick wall; tensing as their screeches came closer and closer. The cries brushed passed the concealed gunner and continued down the tunnel. Lance breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to survey where he had ended up. He willed the crystal on his hand to flare up.

A grinning skull illuminated with a red glow from the crystal filled his vision and Lance let out a choked yell of shock. He leapt to the side away from the skeleton, his heart thudding somewhere in his throat. He took a few calming breaths before chastising himself for jumping at an inanimate object. "G _ranted it was a rather macabre surprise,"_ he admitted silently. The skeleton was wearing some kind of rusty armor with a matching helmet. Lying on the ground next to the boney cadaver was a bulky object, covered in dust and cobwebs.

Curiously, Lance knelt next to it and brushed the accumulated covering to find a strange device made of some kind of white metal. The gunner rolled the object over carefully and found a trigger. "No, way," he murmured in surprise. He hefted the weapon in his hands. The ancient gun was designed to look like the giant white hand of a statue; the tip of each finger was actually a muzzle for releasing magic and Lance could feel the holy magic infused in the device. He stood up and tried another holy fire at the far wall. The white flames burned twice as large from before and were much brighter. Grinning, Lance stashed his Shadow Blaster and strapped the ancient gun to his back.

The gunner gave the skeleton one last glance before he turned to the trick wall and ran his hands over it, trying to figure out how to flip it around again. "I might actually have to thank Matt for dropping me down here," Lance muttered, "Ah, ha." A brick wobbled slightly as his hands passed over it and he pressed down. With a soft click the wall spun around again and Lance found himself standing in the hallway again. He had taken one step onward when the two Spark Wraiths he had evaded earlier came flying back down the tunnel towards him. Lance smirked and brought his new rifle around to bear. He unleased another Holy Fire attack and the two ghosts shrieked in dismay as they were engulfed in the gleaming flames.

Two more cries echoed from somewhere in the tunnels and Lance placed the gun on his back again and took off running. He came upon an intersection and halted, breath coming in sharp pants. Three identical tunnels stretched out before him. Identical until he noticed a crude arrow scratched on the wall of one of them. Lance only paused for a moment, wondering who would have scratched which way to go, before another cry came from behind him, closer than before. Deciding to wonder about it later, the gunner took off down the tunnel. Light filtered around a corner up ahead and Lance dashed around the corner to come out in a circular pit. A flash of movement in his peripheral had him instinctively twisting to the side. An arrow clattered against the stone wall behind him and fell to the dirt. Immediately after, an unexpected, but welcome voice called out.

"Holy- I am so glad you dodged that," Anna called out, relief coloring her voice.

"I hope this isn't how you plan on greeting me from now on," Lance commented as he looked towards where the arrow came from, but didn't see Anna as she laughed. "Where are you?" he asked in confusion.

"Oh, whoops," Anna said sheepishly, stepping out of the shadows, her Angel Wing bow in hand. It appeared to Lance that she had simply materialized out of the gloom.

He walked over to her and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Pulling back, he observed her blush with a grin. "Planning on changing occupations from ranger to ninja?" He asked, referring to her new stealth.

Anna laughed again, "Not intentionally, no; it's this dress. It saved me from a few Spark and Ice Wraiths not too long ago."

Lance waved his hand dismissively, "The Spark Wraiths are dead. Dunno about the Ice ones; they might have been what had been chasing me, though."

"They don't seem very smart. You'd think they would just float through the walls. Works for us, though, I guess," Anna commented. "Think Matt and Natalie will end up here too?"

"Don't give the monsters any ideas," Lance groaned. "The other two will probably be here soon. We can figure out how to get out of here when they do."

He turned to peer across the room at a tunnel at the other end. Anna finally noticed the new gun on his back, "Nice weapon; did you switch to it when you fell down here?"

Lance glanced over his shoulder at the tip of the gun, "No, I found it by accident. It does some very nice holy power ups, but I don't know what else yet." Anna suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand. Lance stared in confusion, "What are you doi- OWW! Geeze, warn me next time," he yelped rubbing the tender skin after Anna ripped the duct-tape off.

"Don't be such a big baby," Anna muttered, digging for some more cord.

The gunner smirked, "I want a kiss to make the boo-boo better." Lance kept the smirk for all of three seconds before he burst out laughing at the incredulous look Anna sent his way. His laughter cut off as she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips.

Pulling back with a blush, she smirked at his surprised expression, "Better?"

"Much," Lance said with a grin.

"Good, then be quiet so I can tie this knot," Anna said as she worked to wrap the crystal in a secure loop before tying the knot. She then slipped the crystal over his head. "There, much better than taping it to your hand every time you need light," she said with a smile.

Lance looked down at the crystal, "Thanks, that is much better."

She stepped back, "Now I guess we just wait for Matt and Natalie, huh?" Lance nodded and went to sit by the wall.

**DDDDDD**

Natalie never wanted to see the color black again after this. First she had fallen into a pitch-black room. Then, once she had gotten out, she had found herself in a pitch-black hall. After some walking, she had run into a pair of Black Clays. A couple quick Judgements took them out, but the noise had attracted some black Coal Bats. " _At least they were also easy to defeat,_ " the mage thought, trying to find the bright side to all the black. At least the crystal she held in one hand wasn't black. The orange crystal she'd almost forgotten she had, shone a warm orange; a literal beam of light in the overwhelming blackness.

"I really need to find something else to gripe about," Natalie muttered, turning down another damp hall. She walked further, encountering no more monsters, but no exits, either. The silence was even creepier than the darkness, and she shivered as she glanced back over her shoulder. She had the strangest feeling that something was watching her, but no matter how often she looked nothing was there. She shuddered as she turned to face forwards once more, and walked straight through an Ice Wraith that had drifted out of the wall. The sensation was like having ice water replace the blood in her veins and she shivered for a whole other reason than something watching her.

Natalie tried to ignore the cold creeping over her and raised her staff to cast a Fireball spell at the Ice Wraith. The blast engulfed the monster, but didn't quite manage to kill it. The smoking Wraith lifted its robed arms and ice pelted the mage. Natalie groaned as she felt a thin sheet of ice spread over her arms and legs, holding her in place. Unable lift her arms to cast another spell, she tensed in anticipation of pain as she watched the Ice Wraith raise its arms again. Thin spears of ice circled above the trapped mage and her eyes widened with fear. Suddenly, a meow echoed out of the dark behind the Wraith and the spears circling above Natalie as the monster was distracted by the appearance of NoLegs. As Natalie watched in shock, the cat pounced forward, slashing at the weakened wraith, and letting out a pleased purr when the monster died, leaving behind an empty robe.

"O-oh, a-am I g-g-glad to s-see you, No-L-Legs," Natalie said through chattering teeth as she struggled to crack the ice encasing her. The cat bounced over and began chipping away at the ice to help break the mage free. As soon as the girl was freed, she gathered up NoLegs for a hug. "I have no clue how you found me, but I'm glad. What do you say we get out of here?" Natalie asked the purring cat in her arms.

With a happy _mrrow_ of agreement, NoLegs squirmed out of the mage's arms and began to confidently lead her down the hallway. Never pausing in his self-assigned duty as guide, the cat led Natalie down tunnel after tunnel, taking some turns and avoiding others.

Natalie was hopelessly lost as she followed behind the cat, "How do you know where we're going?"

"Meow! Mrrow, meow meow."

"You've… Been here before?" Natalie asked confused. A purr was her response. "Huh, might not want to tell Lance that; he'll think you're conspiring against us."

"Meow…"

Natalie reached down to pat his head, "Of course I don't think that! You're a part of the team, as Matt always says. Speaking of Matt, do you know where he is?"

"Meow! Meow!"

"That's good. Did you know we're a couple now?"

"Meow?!"

"I know; I can hardly believe it either. It only took me drowning, apparently."

"Meow."

"Okay, okay, I know that wasn't funny."

"Meow!"

**DDDDDD**

Matt hadn't moved from where he had fallen out of the chute. He had made the mistake of trying to land, and his left ankle had snapped. As he lay there, trying not to black out from the burning pain that flared from his foot, he bemoaned the fact that he had touched that evil statue.

"I'll never loot again," He groaned, talking to himself in an attempt to avoid thinking about his broken foot and the fact that he was alone. "Nope, never again; when I get out of here, I'll become a sell-sword." He considered his vow, "Well, if the loot isn't on a pedestal that apparently screams ' _trap_ ' I'll take it; or if it's off a monster I killed," he amended. "Although, if it's made of pure gold, someone else might try to take it; I wouldn't want someone to get hurt carelessly looting, so I guess I'd have to grab it to save them," he said aloud. Nodding slightly he decided that would be okay.

The swordsman shifted slightly before freezing as he suppressed a loud cry as a wave of agony flared out from his ankle. He didn't know who or what else was down here, and he didn't want to find out if they were friendly or not when he couldn't defend himself. " _I don't even know if there_ is _anyone else down here with me,_ " Matt thought, breathing heavily as the flare of pain subsided. The thought was terrifying; he could die down here and no one would ever find him. As his consciousness slowly slipped away, he hoped that Natalie and the other three were okay, maybe even together. His head fell to the side as he finally passed out from the pain.

A long time passed before a dull pounding sound echoed in Matt's mind, dragging the peaceful, pain-free blanket of oblivion off of his mind. He opened his eyes, not expecting to see anything and frowned as he realized he _could_ see something. An orange light extended from a crack under the door that apparently led into the room. The pounding sound came again, and Matt flinched as he realized that it hadn't been some wake-up call from his mind before stilling to avoid aggravating his ankle again; something was out there trying to get in. A shadow passed across the light shining under the door and a muffled sound came from the other side. Matt held his breath hoping whatever was out there, would go away. A louder pounding rang out and he jumped in surprise, jarring his broken ankle badly. He was unable to suppress the sharp cry of pain before it broke past his throat and echoed around the room. The pounding on the door stopped abruptly and a scraping sound came to his ears.

Matt bit his lower lip using the lesser pain that flared up to distract him from the agony of moving his foot as he slid himself back to brace himself against the wall. Using the uneven bricks as hand holds, he hauled himself to stand on one foot. The pain that was his reward for the effort was so bad he punctured the skin of his lip, tasting blood. He shuddered as the door opened and a horned shadow stretched across the floor. He drew his blade; whatever was coming in would not take him down without a fight.

**DDDDDD**

"Are you sure he's in there?" Natalie asked NoLegs skeptically, knocking on the big metal door.

"Meow," NoLegs said firmly, nodding. He pressed himself to the floor to sniff at the crack at the bottom of the door.

Natalie tried calling Matt's name, but no reply came back. She pounded a little hard against the door and jumped as a cry of pain came back through it. "Matt?! Hang on, I'm coming in!" She braced her shoulder against the door, shoving against it with as much strength as she could. NoLegs joined in her effort, pressing his furry head against the door and shoving. Finally, little by little, the door slid open.

NoLegs squeezed inside while Natalie threw her weight against the door one last time and tumbled in. She groaned as she landed on her back on the hard floor. The mage tilted her head back to see Matt leaning against the wall staring at her with his Rune Blade drawn. His face was pale and sweaty and he had small trickle of blood running down his chin.

"Hey, there; we're here to rescue you," Natalie said, rolling over and standing up.

Matt's reply was a groan as he dropped his blade and collapsed. Natalie's heart skipped a beat as she lunged forward to catch him before his head connected with the floor. She carefully lowered him to rest on his back and began checking for any breaks in his armor that would signal an injury. She found nothing on his chest, stomach, or arms. His head was fine aside from where he had bit through his lip; a quick heal spell fixed the small wound. Natalie carefully slid her hands under his back. Nothing there either. She ran her eyes down Matt's legs and found that his right foot was twisted unnaturally.

She flinched at the sight, her own foot throbbing in sympathy. "Well, that explains why he's still here," Natalie told NoLegs who was busy rubbing his head against Matt's cheek. "I'll straighten it out while he's still out," the mage decided. A few quick motions later that had Matt jerking awake, "Stay still." she warned him.

"Natz..?" Matt slurred, blinking at her in confusion.

"And NoLegs," Natalie assured him. "Give me a few more seconds and we'll have you up and walking. Try not to move, okay?" The swordsman nodded. Natalie carefully felt his ankle to make sure the bones were aligned properly, causing Matt to hiss. Satisfied that they were in place, the mage leaned back with one more warning not to move and cast a powerful heal spell over the joint.

Matt let out a relieved sigh as Natalie's magic washed over the break, carrying away the pain that had plagued him and fusing the bone together again. He opened his eyes to see a water canteen being held out to him. The swordsman sat up and gratefully accepted the drink, the cold liquid clearing his head.

Natalie watched with a critical eye as Matt sat up and drank before deciding he was okay. Good; that meant they could get going to find Lance and Anna soon. Hopefully, NoLegs knew the way to find them, too.

As soon as Matt finished drinking he capped the container and stood up. Natalie stood a well and steadied him as the blood rushing from his head made the room spin. When the dizzy spell passed the swordsman pulled her close and kissed her. After a few seconds he pulled back.

"I thought I was going to be stuck here until I died. Thank you for coming to find me, and healing my ankle" Matt murmured.

Natalie blushed and then smiled, "Eh, even if this whole mess was your fault, I couldn't leave you behind; I'd miss you too much." She grinned, "Besides, I wasn't the one to find you, NoLegs did."

"Meow!" NoLegs said happily, purring as Matt bent down to rub his head,

Straightening up once more he grinned to the mage, "Shall we go find the others then? We still have a crazy god to stop, after all!"

Natalie smiled and grabbed his hand, tugging him forwards to follow NoLegs back into the hall. The cat was leading the way confidently once more and it wasn't long before they saw a patch of light. Speeding up, the three broke out into a room covered with old weaponry, lit up by a from above by a hole leading outside. The pair grinned and called out as they saw Lance and Anna sitting against the far wall, leaning against each other. The two sitting looked up and waved back with matching grins when they spotted Matt, Natalie, and NoLegs.

The three started across the center of the room when a rumbling sound came from the ground followed by a bulge of dirt. A split second later and a giant worm covered in old weapons burst out of the ground between the reunited parties with a strange throaty cry.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

The four adventurers plus NoLegs gaped up at the massive worm that had appeared between their two groups. The monster's body was a fleshy pink extending from the ground to end well over their heads with a gaping, circular mouth. It had no eyes and yet it twisted around to face each of the two groups dead-on, the rusted chain that was halfway fused into the creature's flesh rattling with each motion. There was a prominent stench of gunpowder and carrion emanating from the worm.

"Seriously?" Matt yelled as he readied his weapon, "We don't have time to deal with an overgrown earthworm!"

Anna gripped her Angle Wing tightly as she stepped backwards. The movement caused the Evil Worm to writhe around to face her. "Plus we still have to find a way out of here. But, I don't think it cares about our time constraints. We'll have to take it out quickly."

The worm convulsed suddenly and a massive blade slid out of its mouth. With surprising accuracy for a creature with no eyes, it catapulted itself out of the ground, diving for where Anna and Lance stood. The pair sprinted in opposite directions, just dodging the two foot wide blade that slammed into the ground where they had been standing. Rapidly, the monster burrowed under and came up further away to reveal that it had switched out the blade in favor of a large cannon and aimed for Lance. The gunner threw himself to the floor just as an earsplitting boom rang out. The shot flew over Lance and took out the wall behind him.

"Did this thing swallow a weapons factory, or something?" Lance griped, rising to his feet in time to see Matt summon a Holy Sword down on the worm.

The creature shrieked at the holy damage and dove underground again. For a few moments, there was a tense silence as the fighters waited for the worm to resurface. Natalie shifted back one step and immediately felt a rumbling came from the dirt beneath her. The mage's eyes widened and she threw herself backwards right as the monster lunged up out of the ground. Natalie dodged being eaten, but was still sent flying as the earth burst up from underneath her. She landed with a small grunt and cast a retaliating Judgement on the worm, grinning when the magic caught it dead on.

As the holy damage blackened the skin of the monster, Anna fired a Combo Shot into the worm's gaping mouth. The three arrows slammed into the back of the creature's throat and the Angel Wing's enchantment activated, summoning a hail of shining bolts down to pepper the monster. With another unearthly shriek, the worm flailed. Gastric acid spewed from monster's mouth and whatever it landed on melted in a cloud of steam with a hissing sound. Matt dove forward to dodge a splatter and used the momentum of his roll to drive his Rune Blade deep into the Evil Worm's hide. With another writhe, the swordsman was sent flying into Lance and both fell backwards in a tangled heap, groaning. By the time the two had detangled themselves, the worm had once more ducked underground.

"Everyone stop moving. This thing pops up whenever we take a step, so it must be tracking us by movement," Lance said. "We need some way to confuse it so it doesn't know where we are."

Anna glanced over at him, "Like walking without rhythm? It wouldn't know where we're going to step if we stumbled around randomly."

"I don't like that plan. How are we supposed to attack effectively if we don't have solid footing?" Natalie said with a frown. Suddenly her face brightened, "Wait, if it's underground and using out footsteps to find us, what if we gave it a headache?"

Lance threw the mage a skeptical look, "I don't think stomping really hard will be enough, Natz. None of us are that heavy, despite how much Matt eats."

"Hey!" Matt yelled indignantly, shooting Lance a mild glare. "I can't help it if three servings don't fill me up!"

Natalie heaved a sigh, "Don't call my boyfriend fat, Lance. Anyway, I wasn't thinking of stomping. Matt, summon the mammoth and have it jump around some; that should do the trick."

The swordsman shot Lance's smirking face one final grumpy look as he said, "Good idea, Natz." Matt held his sword in front of him and focused his mana. A few seconds passed before there was a flash of white light and the mammoth appeared. Immediately, the giant animal began stomping around, rearing back on its hind legs to slam its front two feet on the ground and trumpeting all the while. After a short while, the Evil Worm launched out of the ground to writhe wildly on the surface. It gargled with confusion and was completely unaware of the Wooly Mammoth stomping towards it, only of the violent vibrations that had blinded its senses. The four human watched as the mammoth tromped over the giant worm, flattening it to the ground. It gave a final victorious trumpet before vanishing.

"Well, that was effective," Anna finally said. "I didn't know you guys had gotten the mammoth as a summon animal, either." The ranger looked around the room, "Now, how do we get back up?"

NoLegs bounced out of the tunnel over to the wall the Evil Worm and blown up, "Meow!"

"NoLegs says that there's a stairway back there that should lead up to the mountain side," Natalie translated.

Anna stared at her, "You speak cat?"

The mage grinned, "And dog!"

Lance frowned suspiciously at NoLegs, "Animal-whispering aside, how does he know where to go?"

"He apparently led Natz to me and then both of us here, too," Matt recalled. He eyed the cat purring at them, "If I find out you've been helping the fur balls that took the jewels… Well, I think you remember what happened to my last pet."

NoLegs quit purring to stare at the swordsman, "M-meow…?"

With a satisfied grin, Matt nodded, "That's right: they were delicious."

Natalie scooped up the shaking cat, "You can't eat NoLegs, Matt. Besides, if he were working with the other cats, I doubt he would be here helping us now. I never would have found you if he hadn't been guiding me. Don't worry NoLegs; I'll protect you from the big hungry swordsman." With that, the mage scurried over the rubble and disappeared into the opening that had been blown in the wall.

Anna grinned and followed Natalie through. Matt and Lance shared a glance and sighed before moving to catch up with the two girls. The four found themselves in an old armory. Weapons and armor lined the walls. Most were rust or moth eaten, but hanging on a rack near the next door were a large, evil-looking sword and a gleaming black bow.

Matt stepped forward and pulled the blade down. The black cross guard was stylized to look like demon wings with the center fastened with a dull red gem that glowed faintly in the shadows of the room. Unsheathing the sword, revealed a still-sharp dull grey blade. A striped of blood red metal ran along the center of the grey. Matt grinned as he sheathed the sword again and stuffed it in his Adventure pouch.

Meanwhile, Anna stood next to him and picked up the massive gleaming black bow with red accents. She could fell the dark energy radiating out of the weapon. She rubbed her fingers over the red gems set above the grip reverently before slid tucked the weapon away. The ranger then leaned forward and rubbed her thumb over the dusty plaque set beneath where the weapon had hung, "Oh, jeez, it's been forever since Lana taught me to read this." Anna muttered for a little while, squinting at the ancient text, "Black… Widow, I think? At least that's what it would translate to."

Natalie walked up to stand next to Anna and stared at the old writing before she shook her head, "No idea, I've never seen this kind of writing before." She moved over to the plaque beneath the sword matt had picked up was, "What's this one say?" The mage shifted aside as Anna came over.

The ranger muttered running her fingers over the characters as if it would help her remember, "New birth? Dawn? Let me try to figure out the rest of this… 'of the Hell', no, wait, demon…" Anna stood up straight, "Well, directly it says 'Birth of the Demon', but the character next to 'birth' is generally used for time, so it would be 'Devil's Sunrise' if you translated it to more modern grammar."

"Not bad, Anna," Natalie said with a grin. "I didn't even know you knew another language."

"Well, I didn't know you could talk to animals, so I guess we're even," the ranger replied with a laugh.

The party then headed through the next door and walked up a long flight of worn stone steps. They broke out into the bright midday sunlight, squinting as their eyes readjusted from the darkness of the catacombs. The wind whipped past them in strong gusts and they were startled to realize that they were above the cloud.

"Okay, we're back out. It can't be much further to where the cats are. Watch your step and let's leave any suspicious statues alone, okay?" Anna said, with a pointed glare at Matt. The swordsman blinked innocently, but nodded all the same.

The four carefully made their way over rickety wooden bridges and past old marble columns and arches. Lance remarked that they were the same style as the ruins in Lankyroot. Cracked and worn statues of winged cats became more common the further the party climbed. Soon they came upon the ruined floor of an old temple. A few pillars and arches were still standing along the edges of the white stone floor. Dark clouds obscured their view of the end of the marble platform and Natalie nervously informed the others that she could sense huge amounts of mana coming from them.

The four exchange glances and started walking faster only to halt at the appearance of three large, white bears. Each animal had small angelic wings on their back and a single horn growing out of their foreheads. Despite their almost cute looks, the four adventurers shifted back from the territorial growl the animals released.

Lance cast a couple of glances at the drop offs on either side of the long, flat platform and cursed. "This is really bad place to get into a fight," he muttered.

The bears in front of them obviously disagreed with the gunner as one of them leapt fore ward to come down in a body slam on a surprised Matt. Unable to draw his sword, Matt groaned as he felt the crushing weight of the bear press down on his chest, denting his armor. A second later and a fireball slammed into the beast's side, forcing the animal off the swordsman. Matt winced as he stood up and drew Rune Blade, feeling the bruise left on his ribcage.

Natalie had no time to heal Matt as the bear she had blasted with a fireball came rushing at her in a berserker rage. The animal's charge was derailed by Matt as he stepped forward to slash at the monster. To the pair's horror, his sword bounced harmlessly off of the bear and the burn left by Natalie healed completely. The bear changed targets from the mage to the swordsman and Matt was sent flying into a pillar with a claw mark dent in his already battered Golden Armor. The moment his body impacted the ancient stone pillar, the base cracked and the whole thing toppled off the ledge. Natalie shrieked as Matt fell through the clouds with it.

Lance and Anna were firing bullets and arrows at the other two bears, taking care to avoid doing too much damage at once so that the bears wouldn't berserk. After the first arrow had bounced off on of the bear's pelts, she had stepped back to switch her Angel Wing bow out for the Black Widow. She took over running interference as Lance fell back to switch his own weapon out for his Shadow Blaster. The added darkness damage from their weapons was incredibly effective against the strange animals.

Lance had just finished off one of the bears with a Dark Shot from his rifle when he heard Natalie scream. Leaving Anna to finish off the other bear with a Combo Shot, he turned to see Natalie standing alone, staring at a broken pillar. The third bear was charging at the frozen mage. Not pausing to think about what must have happened to Matt, the gunner turned his God Hand rifle around and fired a Flame Shot at the bear. At the same time, he saw Anna's Vines magic burst up to entangle the bear, holding it in place with venomous thorns as his fire magic engulfed the bear. The two watched in surprise as the flames turned a virulent green and there was a small explosion. When the dust cleared, nothing was left of the bear except a small sooty stain on the marble. The two didn't think very long on the violent reaction of their combined attack; they dashed over to stand near Natalie.

"He fell," Natalie said her tone flat with shock as she stared at the broken base of the pillar. She shuddered, "H-he came to stop the bear from mauling me and it sm-smacked him o-over." Her two friends exchanged stunned glances.

Before Natalie could begin crying, a strangled voice called out to them from under the clouds drifting past the cliff, "Hey, if you three aren't busy, do you mind helping me out? This pillar is really heavy." Shocked into stillness Natalie, Lance, and Anna just gaped at the clouds. There was a faint grinding sound and Matt's voice called out again, "Please? I'm sorry for the statue thing."

Natalie laughed suddenly and scrambled over to the ledge with the other two following her. Peering over the side, they realized that there was a smaller ledge jutting out from the mountain side, just inside the cloud cover. Matt lay trapped on the cliff with the pillar pinning him to the ground, looking up at them with relief. A rock had kept the stone from crushing him, but his legs were still trapped under the column. His three friends slid down the rock wall to help him get free. Propping their shoulders against the pillar, Lance and Anna grunted as they rolled it enough for Natalie to pull matt out from underneath. They let the column fall back in place as Natalie worked on healing Matt.

Soon the swordsman was standing up, the dents in his armor gone along with any injuries from the fall. "Lucky thing this ledge was here, huh?" he said with a grin.

Natalie nodded, "I thought for sure that you had fallen all the way down."

Lance was already scaling the cliff back up, "Now that we know he didn't, let's get back up there and smack a few fur balls around." Anna nodded as she scrambled up after the gunner, accepting the hand he held out to help her the last few feet. Matt waited until Natalie had joined them before climbing up himself. The party sat there for a few minutes, catching their breath from the climb before Anna stood up. The other three stood as well and they walked shoulder to shoulder into the small storm head.

The magical energy swirled around the party. The excess Mana tingled against their skin and they felt completely rejuvenated by the time they broke through the dark wall of clouds. The four stopped as they saw the three missing Jewels arranged in a triangle on stone pedestals. Cats were swaying and bowing in a semicircle, their gazes fixed upon two familiar, glowing figures. A strange warbling yowl rose from the gathered cats as they sang praise to their creator.

The party froze and stared at the two aspects of Godcat. One was the glowing white cat that had attacked them in the Crystal Caverns the other the bloody shadow they had fought in the ruins of Lankyroot; Life and Death, Judgement and Damnation, Creation and Destruction. Holy power flowed over the party impassive and deadly intermixed with waves of pure darkness that pulsed with violence and evil. The opposing forces twined in perfect harmony and the sheer power crackled in the air.

"Why is there two of Them?! Does She have two bodies?" Matt asked in a panicked tone.

Anna shivered as she stared at the twin cats, "I-I don't know. That mural in the temple showed Godcat with a red outline. I thought they were just representing Her powers of destruction. But now I'm not so sure."

Lance took a deep, calming breath, "We're a lot stronger than the last time we fought Her. But now that there's two of them, that could change."

"It's too late to change our minds now, so get ready. This is going to be our greatest and toughest battle yet!" Natalie encouraged the others, her face set with a stubborn determination.

The gathering of cats parted as the dual aspects of Godcat drifted to meet the heroes that would attempt to stop Them. For a few seconds They hovered there, doing nothing. Suddenly, both cats raised Their arms in a synchronized motion and Their dual power fluctuated. Blue and red lightning crackled around the mountain peak and a freezing wind howled around the two glowing cats.

The four heroes didn't flinch at the awesome display of power. Instead, each drew their weapons and fell into battle stances. Natalie with her Seraphim staff stood furthest back. Just in front of the mage and slightly to one side was Anna, her Black Widow bow gripped in one hand with an arrow nocked and ready on the string. In front of the two determined women, Matt fell into a crouch with his Rune Blade brandished in front of him in a two-handed grip. To the swordsman's left stood Lance with his Shadow Blaster strapped to his back and his gunblade in his right hand, leveled at the glowing aspects.

Two voices spoke in the party's minds as the flashes of Godcat's power faded, " _You are fools to believe you have the strength to challenge Us. You may wear the armor and weapons of the ancient ones who sealed Us away, but you are far from their equals. Tremble now as you struggle against your fates. Cry out as your friends fall around you. Plead for mercy as We destroy all you hold dear."_

* * *


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

The four heroes braced themselves as the opposing avatars of Godcat glowed even brighter. Natalie threw up a Barrier just as their foes attacked with blasts of holy and dark magic. Most of the damage was absorbed by the mage's defensive spell, and the small amount that got through was shrugged off by the party. The four grinned as the twin avatars hissed with displeasure.

" _Filthy humans!_ " the destruction avatar spat in their minds, " _Your fortitude is an obscenity! Do you think_ _you can defeat your god?_ " With a flash of red, the bloody shadow vanished.

The creation avatar hovered to stand on the ground. Anna snapped off a Piercing Shot, and cursed as the immortal cat phased through the arrow, "Argh, She's just as dodgy as before!"

Lance tried his luck next and fired a Sniper Shot. To the hero's amazement, the bullet slammed home in the god's chest. "I can't believe that worked," Lance exclaimed, "Keep attacking; we're stronger now, we can do this!"

A ripple of purring laughter echoed in their minds and the party watched in dismay as the bullet hole in the chest of the holy avatar closed up. " _You have_ _improved since I toyed with you in the Caverns. This is good. I would be most upset if you hadn't,_ " Godcat mockingly praised, " _Your ancient armor may defend you from My magical strikes, but I have armor of My Own._ "

With Her words still ringing in the party's heads, Godcat sank into the ground in a glowing portal that vanished behind Her. The four looked around nervously for the immortal cat, but only saw the normal legless cats surrounding them, silently watching the humans' battle for the existence of mankind. A rumble shook the mountain top, and the area glowed with white power. A massive tank of gleaming gold burst out of the stone. The huge construct had a single large cannon fixed to one side. Twin golden tails of shining gold and titanium blades waved on either side of the tank. Godcat Herself sat atop the gleaming metal. Her blue eyes glowed even brighter than Her body as She gazed down on the stunned humans below.

" _Behold The Creator! Fear it, for it shall be the instrument of My judgement upon you,_ " Godcat yowled. Her voice dropped to a low, wrathful hiss, _"You humans have savagely murdered My children and conquered My lands. Perhaps you forget who it is you owe your existence to. Bow down to the power of your creator!"_

Natalie gripped her staff and cast a massive Pulsar over the tank and the two tails. "My creator or not, I refuse to accept You as my god," the mage said defiantly, dark energy flowing around her as she attacked. The dark magic engulfed The Creator and cracks appeared along the metal shell. The Blade of Heaven tails suffered even more damage and they began to sporadically twitch.

One Blade lashed out towards the mage, but was intercepted by Matt. The swordsman had switched out to his Devil's Sunrise and he smacked the giant tail aside with a grunt before slicing through it. The severed Blade crashed to the ground where its form shimmered before vanishing. He glared up into Godcat's enraged eyes, "It's your own fault that Your children weren't strong enough to defend themselves. If you hadn't taken away their legs, they might never have attacked us!"

Godcat's fury grew and the heroes could feel the spike in Her magic, " _My children had failed to hold dominance of the earth, and so I punished them, so that they may never forget the shame that I felt as their Mother._ "

Lance shifted sideways as the second Blade of Heaven slammed down. The gunner pulled his Shadow Blaster off of his back and shot down the second tail with a Dark Shot. The defeated blade shimmered and vanished, leaving only a deep gouge in the stone. Lance spun around to stare down the god defiantly, "Because _that_ makes so much sense! If You had wanted them to have dominion over the planet, You shouldn't have weakened them further. Besides, we saw the mural in the Lankyroot temple, and we know that the cats and humans back then had an alliance that made them both strong."

Anna fired a Combo Shot from her Black Widow bow straight into the front of The Creator tank. The dark empowered arrows tore through the shining metal. Black spikes erupted from the ground beneath the construct, ripping upwards to pin the tank in place. "Maybe long ago these lands were Yours, Godcat, but they aren't anymore!" the ranger declared.

The Creator tank glowed with power as the immortal cat of creation channeled Her wrath into it. A powerful barrier formed around the party and the god, just as a massive beam of light burst out of The Creator's cannon. The magical blast roared across the mountain to slam into the defiant heroes. Chunks of rock flew and the air rumbled with power and sound.

The light faded to reveal that all four of the fighters had been blown off their feet. Each person lay crumpled against the barrier, coughing or groaning. Natalie struggled to her feet first, and turned in time to see the weakened tank fall apart under the stress of the massive attack. "Keep it together and get back on your feet! She blew Her own tank apart with that attack," the mage encouraged as she dropped a Heal More spell on her injured friends. They each struggled to stand up and rejoined Natalie to stand against the god.

The ruined shell of The Creator vanished and the glowing form of creation Godcat hovered before them once more. She surveyed the battered party with a distinct look of disdain. Her voice echoed in their heads again, " _I created humans to be used by cats; to provide a workforce, a source of sustenance. Humans were meant to be naught but slaves. It was a mistake to give them free will, a mistake that I shall rectify with humanity's complete annihilation!_ "

The threat wavered in their minds as the avatar of creation vanished to be replaced with the bloody shadow of the avatar of destruction. The spitting voice hissed in their minds, " _Any species that defies its purpose will return to the dust from whence it came. Humans are a plague on this world, a plague that must be purged with hellfire. Nothing can stand in My path of death and destruction._ " With that the destruction Godcat sank into a red portal in the ground.

The tired heroes braced themselves for the arrival of another tank. With a rumble and a darkening of the world around them, a giant spiked skull forced its way out of the ground. The red outline of Godcat could be seen nestled in the macabre tank's fanged mouth. On either side, skeletal Blades of Hell rattled threateningly.

" _Aeons ago, there were countless civilizations far greater than any today. They built towers to the heavens, and were capable of magnificent technology. I have ruined them all, effortlessly. You feeble creatures are nothing to Me! Armies rose and fell before The Destroyer's might and now you shall follow them,_ " The sinister hiss of the destruction avatar slashed at their minds.

The jaw of The Destroyer cracked wide, and a heap of bleached bones rose from the ground, knitting together to form a small force of skeletal cats. The undead cats' bones rattled as they leapt forward to explode on the party. Every time one connected, the skeleton blew apart, sending shards of bone shooting in one direction.

Anna fluidly dodged all but one of the skeletons, letting them blow up on the barrier behind her. She let out a small cry of pain as chips of bone embedded in any uncovered skin. Pushing the pain aside, the ranger threw her Black Widow to the side and pulled out her Angel Wing bow out of her pack. She twisted to aid in taking down the swarm of skeletal cats surrounding the mage.

Natalie called out a quick thanks to Anna for her aid as she unleased a Firestorm on the skeletons. Flames engulfed the swarm, melting the bones to slag. Any remaining undead were swiftly shot down with individual Fire Balls and arrows. Deathly hisses and rattles echoed from all around as the undead felines were slain.

Lance shot down as many of the approaching undead as he could. He dodged one of the final two by stepping aside at the last moment, and crushed the skeleton's skull with his foot as it tried to recover. The gunner spun around and slashed the second skeleton in half at the neck.

Matt let his Devil's Sunrise drop, point-first into the ground and allowed the first couple of undead cats to slam into his armor, trusting the Golden Plate and its enchantments to soften the blows. As the skeletons exploded against him and shards of bone pinged off the metal, the swordsman pulled out his Rune Blade and shifted from just standing there to a whirlwind of motion. His sword flashed in bewildering arcs, and the rest of the undead cats were cut down.

The panting party turned back to The Destroyer, surrounded by the remains of the small army of the undead. Godcat's gleaming red eyes surveyed their exhaustion with detached amusement from the mouth of the tank. The Destroyer began to darken as it absorbed unholy energy from the destruction avatar. The mouth snapped shut as a Piercing Shot from Anna came flying at the lurking shadow. The insolence of the attack cleared any amusement Godcat felt and She spoke once more, " _Akron was my final gift to humans, and I thought that would be the end of them. I created that abomination to ensure that no species could ever thrive on this planet again. But I could not find Akron, nor can I sense his presence. I assume I have you filthy creatures to blame for that?_ " The heroes glanced at each other, Anna in confusion and the other three in shock.

Finally, Matt turned to glare at the looming skull of the Tank, "You're two years too late to find him. Next time You want to wipe out a planet: do it Yourself. It would have saved us a lot of time getting here."

The howl of Godcat's anger was almost unheard, despite being in their minds, as the dark energy The Destroyer had gathered was unleased in the form of multiple, rapid blasts of shadow that rained down on the heroes. Dirt and stone exploded and when it finally settled the party was back on the ground. Matt struggled to sit up, groaning in pain. Nearby, Natalie pushed herself to her hands and knees, coughing. The pair staggered to their feet and froze as Anna and Lance remained lying down. Their faces were slack and they could have merely been unconscious if it weren't for the fact that neither of them seemed to be breathing.

"Break time's over, guys. Get up," Natalie nervously called, unwilling to accept what must be true. The mage hesitantly stepped up next to the downed pair and cast Heal More. Nothing happened and she tried again, tears forming in her eyes; neither one of them even twitched. Anna and Lance had been killed in the volley. Natalie fell to her knees next to the bodies and started crying. Purring laughter echoed in the remaining two's minds

Matt twisted to glare, enraged, at Godcat. His anger faded to horror as he watched the twin Blades of Hell that had been simply waiting lash out at Natalie. "Natz, watch out!" Matt yelled, darting forwards. He slashed one in half, but choked as the second twisted with the speed of a viper and broke his Rune Blade in half before sinking into his chest. His wide eyes glazed over and slid shut.

Natalie whipped around at Matt's warning only to scream as she watched the Blade of Hell retract and Matt's body limply fall to the ground with a clatter next to the pieces of his broken sword. She scrambled to her feet and ran over to the swordsman, only to freeze at the sight of the bloody hole in the chest-piece of his armor. The mage fell to her knees. Numbly, Natalie realized that Godcat was speaking to her, but she hardly payed any attention; a cold emptiness filled her mind.

" _Humanity has been judged and found wanting. As I had expected, they turned out to be too weak to withstand My power."_ Godcat purred, " _It was entertaining while it lasted, but you and your friends should have stayed far away from here, mage. Now, be reunited with them in death!_ "

The second Blade of Hell Lashed out at the kneeling Natalie. A split second before the bone blade connected with the mage's back it disintegrated in a flash of holy power. Godcat hissed in surprise as holy magic surrounded the mage and mana flowed out and around her in visible wisps of light. Natalie's hair rustled in a phantom breeze and stones floated off of the ground around her. The mage slowly stood as the power intensified. She raised her Seraphim staff over her head and let loose a howl, her eyes glowing with light. A pillar of light formed around the mage and spread outwards, engulfing the three corpses of her fallen friends and the massive skull looming behind her.

With a screech of pain, Godcat abandoned the rapidly disintegrating tank. The legless cats watching the display yowled in fear and scattered as fast as they were able. Natalie ignored the obliteration of The Destroyer and the mayhem erupting outside the swiftly cracking barrier. Instead, the mage focused on manipulating the immense healing mana surrounding her and the corpses of her friends. The pillar of light became a massive rune-covered cross made of pure mana centered over the three bodies in front of her. Natalie watched as the light wove around the corpses and blood receded into the bodies before the wounds knit shut.

Matt, Anna, and Lance shot into sitting positions all at once with sharp gasps. They immediately gaped at the sight of Natalie wielding so much mana at once. With her hair still wildly whipping around her, her eyes glowing white, and the aura of light coming from her body, the mage could easily have been mistaken for a goddess.

Finally, the light began to fade. Natalie shut her still-glowing eyes and took a shuddering breath. When she reopened her eyes, they had returned to their normal blue and were filled with tears of relief. For a few seconds the three sitting on the ground simply stared at the mage as she stared back at them. Suddenly, Natalie let out a sob and threw herself at Matt, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. The swordsman held her just as tightly.

"No more dying, you guys. Never again," Natalie cried.

Lance let out a laugh, "I can get behind that. Dying sucks."

"I don't know what you did—or how you did it—but thanks, Natz," Anna said shakily.

Natalie felt Matt stiffen beneath her before he unwrapped is arms from her waist. She pulled back to see him staring over her shoulder with wide eyes. Lance let out a string of swears and Anna gasped. The mage turned around to see both The Destroyer and The Creator had formed behind her.

" _Genesis,_ " the cold voice of creation said, " _I never thought that a pathetic human could cast a spell meant for the divine._ "

" _But, I know you won't manage a second one,_ " the spitting voice of destruction added.

"Both of them at once?" Lance said in shock, "There's no way we can win!"

Anna sprang to her feet, "Yes we can. Natz's Genesis has given us a second wind! Get up and let's return that last attack of Godcat's with interest!"

Lance nodded, still looking skeptical, but rose to his feet. Matt and Natalie stood as well and the swordsman pulled his Devil's Sunrise from where it was stuck in the ground. The four heroes faced down the twin tanks of creation and destruction. The two massive constructs shifted slightly.

"Here she comes, get ready!" Anna called and cast Reflex on the whole party.

Immediately the group felt lighter and faster. When Godcat unleashed a wave of gold and black spikes towards the party through the ground, they easily stepped around or leapt over them, dodging all of the spires.

Anna took the opportunity to attack Godcat. A flickering red wind swirled around the ranger as she pulled a single arrow back and let it fly. The missile screamed through the air, its velocity and strength boosted by the mana spiraling around it, and slammed straight through the center of The Destroyer.

Lance stepped up next to Anna and held his hand up, palm out, towards the badly damaged skull tank. The gunner was surrounded by a yellow glow and a small ball of energy appeared in front of The Destroyer. Lance's eyes were shut in concentration as the Supernova attack grew larger and larger before it exploded. The jaw of the tank snapped off and disintegrated as excess energy scattered around the field. Natalie was watching the attack carefully and threw up a Barrier spell to counteract the backlash of Lance's attack. Destruction Godcat screeched once before it cut off.

"Yes! One down, one to go!" Anna cheered.

"Don't let your guards down," Natalie warned.

The remaining avatar hissed at the heroes only to be cut off as Matt lunged forwards, an aura of power surrounding him and his weapon. Blinding slashes of immense strength rained down and the Cleaver sheared through the golden armor of The Creator. The tank remained standing and charged for an attack.

Natalie headed off the impending attack with a powerful Pulse spell. The dark energy cracked the shell apart. The built up energy within The Creator blasted the tank into the air and it came crashing down and disappeared in a flash of light. Creation Godcat yowled briefly.

The heroes glanced around. The legless cats had begun creeping out of crevices and niches in the mountain top to stare at the party. Neither avatar could be seen anywhere, and the four lowered their weapons slightly.

Matt glanced around and said, "She can't possibly keep fighting after all that… Right?"

As if in response, the two avatars reappeared in a pair of flashes before the party. The four heroes jumped back and raised their weapons again, but the immortal cats merely watched them with no signs of further aggression. Silence reigned for a few moments as the opposing sides eyed each other before the avatars spoke.

" _Interesting. Your strength is but a fraction of My Own, and yet, in the face of certain death, you humans are determined to fight for existence,_ " the hissing voice of the destruction avatar said in a begrudgingly impressed tone, " _I shall spare your pitiful lives._ " With a short nod at the shocked party, the shadowy cat drifted back to hover over the gathering of cats.

" _Perhaps I was mistaken in judging humans so harshly. I see now the magnitude of your strength, wisdom and courage. I had always wished for cats to exhibit these qualities, but it was never meant to be,"_ Godcat spoke in the echoing tones of its creation avatar, Her voice vaguely wistful, " _I accept that humans have earned this world._ " She then hovered away to join Her darker side.

The two avatars spoke at once in eerie fusion of their voices, " _You would go so far as to challenge gods and conquer death to defend your home and existence. I had hoped, when I had created this world and cat kind, that My children would one day exhibit the traits that you four have displayed today. Instead, it was My abandoned children, humans, who rose to and beyond My expectations._ " The twin immortal cats' eyes glowed as they surveyed the heroes, " _This world no longer belongs to Me or to My children. I see now that humans will do anything to protect their home. I shall leave you now. I shall guide the children who rose up to summon Me to a new world. Perhaps what I could not achieve here will be possible elsewhere, and they have earned the right to be the start of our new life._ "

There was a loud meow and the gathered cats parted to allow NoLegs through. The fifth member of the team sprang forwards, purring, into Natalie's arms. Godcat watched silently as the four heroes greeted their cat companion.

" _I had extended an offer to NoLegs to join Me in My attempt to destroy you, but he refused. Now I wish to extend a different offer. NoLegs, would you join us in our quest to find a new home?_ " The four humans blinked up at Godcat before turning their heads down to stare at the cat in the mage's arms. NoLegs meowed something that made Natalie grin. _"NoLegs, your bravery in refusing My attempts to gain your aid amazed Me. I never thought that a cat today would choose humans over his own kind and yet you did. Now you say that you already have a home. Very well, may you be content in your life here."_ With a large pulse of power, a glow surrounded the gathering of cats and they were lifted into the air alongside their creator. A wisp of power drifted around the stunned humans, healing their remaining wounds and restoring their strength. " _Farewell, humans. Know that I will be watching your story unfold from afar._ "

The humans watched, faces blank with disbelief at the acknowledgement of the powerful god. With bright flashes of light, the cats streaked away into the sky. Slowly, massive smiles spread across the heroes faces as they looked at each other in amazement. Matt let out a whoop and twirled a laughing Natalie once before pulling her in for a long kiss.

"Not a bad plan, Matt," Lance mused with a grin. He snagged Anna and held her tight. He pressed his lips against the ranger's smiling mouth.

The two couples broke apart and exchanged high fives and cheers. Anna turned to the three Jewels that still rested on their pedestals. Lance watched as she reverently stepped forward and ran a hand over a green leaf shaped Jewel.

"I can't believe we won, and now I can finally return the Jewel to Greenwood," Anna murmured with a grin. She snorted suddenly, "Going back to being a normal ranger is going to be hard. Hunting Slimes and Black Birds will seem so dull after all of the giant monsters we fought to get here." The ranger turned to smile at the three behind her, "What do you say we return the Jewels to their proper resting places, and have a big party to celebrate in Greenwood?"

Matt cheered, "I second that! Bring on the beer and pizza!"

"If you get plastered and start being stupid, I'm just going to ignore you. I am _not_ carrying your sorry drunk ass away, again," Lance warned the swordsman.

Natalie nodded an agreement, "I'm with Lance. You get to deal with the hangover this time, Matt."

The swordsman groaned, "But we just saved the world again! If I can't get drunk after that, then when can I?" He pouted as he heard Natalie mumble, ' _why get drunk at all?_ '

Lance turned to Anna with a hopeful look, "Why go back to being a ranger in Greenwood? You could keep adventuring with us." He frowned when Anna hesitated, "…No?"

The ranger gave him a small smile, "I need to think about that. I'm one of the only fighters in Greenwood, after all."

Matt shrugged, "I bet if you scared them all again, like when we were there last time, they'd fall all over themselves to learn how to fight."

"You _were_ pretty scary," Natalie mentioned. She saw Anna hesitating and played her trump card, "Lance'll miss you too much if you stay in Greenwood." The mage grinned at the blush that spread across the gunner's face as he glared at her.

Anna grinned briefly before smothering it as Lance grumbled about putting words in his mouth. "You don't want me along, after all? I guess I'll just stay in Greenwood, then," the ranger said with a pout. Lance looked at Anna in alarm, and her lips twitched as before she burst out laughing. "I'm joking!" The ranger smiled at her two friends and boyfriend, "You guys win, I'll keep adventuring with you. I'm sure Old Lana can whip the people of Greenwood into shape."

With matching smiles, they gathered up the three Jewels and Anna snagged her Black Widow bow from where it had been discarded. The triumphant heroes then set off down the mountain to return to the world below.

* * *


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

The heroes' journey to return the Jewels to their rightful altars was fast and mostly uneventful.

They started with Goldenbrick Resort, where they left the red Jewel that was stylized to look like a flame. The guardswoman who had gotten them the inn room discount was ecstatic to see the Jewel returned. Many people had seen the flashes of light from the heroes' battle against Godcat and they flocked to the altar to cheer as the Jewel was set upon it once more. The four stayed for free in the inn that night. They left before dawn the next day to avoid the crowds.

Next, they skirted around the edge of the factory, heading to Whitefall Town. The altar keeper had been stunned when they presented her with the blue Jewel, shaped like a four-point star. The woman had thanked them profusely as she placed the artifact on its rightful altar. While the four had been eating at the inn that evening, the keeper had come up to them with a large bag of gold. She explained that the money was the bounty reward promised to whoever found and retrieved the Jewel. The four accepted the money with huge grins.

The next morning, the party headed out on the last leg of their journey into the forests surrounding Greenwood. After three days of traveling, the entrance to Greenwood Village came into sight. Anna hesitated at the familiar tree-trunk houses, prompting Lance to turn and ask if she was okay.

"I'm just… worried that this is going to be like last time we came here," the ranger admitted quietly.

Matt gave her a grin, "C'mon, they can't yell at you for not retrieving the Jewel when you're holding it in hand."

Natalie nodded, "He's right, Anna. Just have the Jewel in the open when you walk in and I'll bet they will be tripping over themselves to thank you."

"I know they probably won't accuse me of slacking on the retrieval," Anna said, frowning. "I'm more worried that they'll accuse us of murdering Michael."

Lance nudged the ranger's shoulder, "Lana said she'd handle that, remember? Besides, I doubt any of them will want to say anything if we mention we fought Godcat and gained Her approval."

Anna still looked skeptical, but she nodded and led the way into Greenwood Village. Strangely, they didn't see anyone standing around. There were a few Idols bouncing here and there, but no villagers. The four heroes exchanged confused glances. Anna opened her mouth to call out when they heard a familiar voice, raised in a lecture, come from around the store:

"You call that a stance? I could march over there, take that practice spear from you, and trip you with it, all in five seconds! See? Five seconds! Spread your feet and hold your hands further apart on the shaft! You two over there think this is funny, do you? I hope you'll find it equally funny when I do the same to you! Get back to your drills!" Matt, Lance, and Natalie exchanged surprised glances at the raised voice of the priestess of Greenwood. Anna, however, merely doubled over laughing.

"Looks like I won't need to ask Lana to start drilling them in fighting," Anna said as she calmed down.

Her three friends grinned and nodded. Finally, they rounded the building and saw a large group of villagers standing in a semi-circle near the Altar of Greenwood. The priestess was standing over a fluster young man, fuming. She held a long practice spear in one hand and as they watched, she brandished it at a pair attempting to creep away from the lesson. Before she could launch into a hands-on demonstration of spearmen-ship, she caught sight of the four returning heroes. The woman's eyes widened and she dropped her spear in shock at the sight of Anna holding the leaf-shaped Greenwood Jewel. Soon, the other people turned to see what Lana was staring at.

For a few seconds there was a stunned silence, then:

"They've returned!" "They have the Jewel!" "We're saved!" "Does this mean we can stop learning how to fight?" "I can't believe it!" "Good work!" "Nice weapons!" "Nice boo- OW!" "Don't listen to him!" "Amazing!"

The villagers called out, all at the same time. Their cheers overlapped as they rushed forwards to greet the triumphant party. Lana stepped forward and reverently accepted the Jewel from Anna. Silence fell as everyone watched the priestess place the Jewel back upon its altar and bowed before it. The Jewel seemed to glow brighter for a few seconds and cheers erupted once more.

Lance leaned down to whisper in Anna's ear, "See? Everything is fine."

The ranger grinned up at him and nodded. She turned to the gathering and called, "Time to celebrate!"

The cheers grew even louder. Several people ran off to begin preparing food and seating. Others ran up to the party and shook their hands, thanking them repeatedly for the return of the Jewel. Several also apologized for their treatment of the heroes during their last visit, and thanked them for exposing Michael as a traitor. The attention was wonderful, but soon Anna was easing away. She promised to see the villagers later, and that the four would relate their tale at the party. Soon, Anna and her friends were sitting in the grass outside the ranger's house. Huge smiles lit their faces and Matt was drooling slightly as the smell of cooking food wafted past.

"That was a far better welcome," Anna said, "We got free rooms in Goldenbrick, a ton of money in Whitefall, and now we get a celebration here? Saving the world is awesome."

Natalie flopped backwards to lie down. She let out a content sigh, "And we don't even have to pay for the party."

Matt grinned, "Last time, we spent all of the gold we found on our adventure on the food. This is _way_ better."

"You could have ordered twelve less pizzas. That would have saved us a lot of money," Lance reminded him with a snort.

"How can you say that? Get less pizza? Blasphemy!" Matt said with an indignant gasp.

Whatever Lance was going to reply with was cut off by the arrival of a villager, telling them that the food was ready. Matt sprang up with a cheer and ran off. Natalie rolled her eyes with a grin, chasing after the swordsman. Lance stood up and held a hand out to pull Anna to her feet. The pair walked next to each other to the party.

**DDDDDD**

"There we were, surrounded by eight skeletal cats, all rattling and groaning. Two of them leapt for Natz, but she blew them away in an awesome blaze of fire! Anna smacked the skulls clean off the shoulders of four more as Lance blasted six others with a pin-point Unload. There were still ten left so I jumped right into the thick of the group, taking all of them out with one swing! Soon the undead army lay defeated around us. Twenty-five boney felines will never again threaten the world."

Anna and Lance snorted as they listened to Matt tell the story of their quest to retrieve the Jewels and stop Godcat. The swordsman had been drinking beer after beer throughout the whole retelling and the feats they accomplished grew evermore ridiculous.

"From eight to twenty-five with nothing but beer, huh," Lance said with a smirk, sipping at a can of energy drink.

"Better not tell the monsters that, they might think that's true," Anna joked, drinking some juice. She shook her head with a laugh, "I liked the part where he claimed we defeated the first Godcat by throwing the Crystal Golem at Her. I can't believe he can be this articulate after that much beer; he's had to have had ten by now."

"Thirteen, actually," Lance corrected, "We should probably cut him off, soon." He gestured with his drink across the crowd, " _I_ can't believe the villagers. They all seem to be _believing_ his ridiculous and exaggerated story."

Anna sighed, "And I bet they'll write it down as the honest truth. I'm going to have to work with Lana and do some damage control." The ranger glanced around, "Where's Natz? I thought she'd be sticking with Matt."

The gunner let out a laugh, "I saw her a little while ago. She was having a very deep conversation."

"Oh, really? Who with?" Anna asked. The ranger blinked in confusion when he laughed harder.

Lance stood up and gestured for Anna to follow, "You won't believe me if I tell you."

The ranger's confusion grew as she followed Lance through the milling crowd. Soon she glimpsed Natalie through the mass of bodies. As the pair got closer, Anna could see the mage was leaning against a wood pile. Frowning, the ranger wondered who Natalie was speaking too. The mage's arms were gesturing animatedly as she explained some great idea to… Anna stopped, and stared.

"Is she talking to a Wooden Idol?" the ranger asked in disbelief. Lance nodded with an amused smirk.

Sure enough, Natalie's conversation partner was an idol. Empty cans of beer were littered around the mage as she spoke. "I'm serious: it could work! Just attach the bacon to the-" Natalie broke off to stare up at the appearance of her two friends, "Hey, Anna! I didn't know you had other family here, besides Sarah!"

Anna stared at Natalie, "I… don't." The ranger glanced sideways at Lance who was shaking with laughter.

"Then who's that person? She looks just like you!" Natalie asked. She lifted an arm to point at an empty space to Anna's left. In the process of pointing, the mage fell over sideways, toppling the idol next to her, and burst out in drunken laughter, "I've never been a domino before!"

Lance cracked up as Anna slapped a palm over her face. The ranger stepped forward and pulled Natalie off of the ground, "C'mon, Natz, I think you've had enough fun for one night. Let's get you to bed." Natalie fell back down giggling and Anna glanced over at the laughing gunner, "A little help, Lance?"

Lance grinned as he hooked one of Natalie's arms over his shoulder. Anna grabbed the other arm, and together they began maneuvering the drunken mage through the crowd. Natalie stumbled constantly and, with a hiccup, burst out singing an off-color song about a pirate and a barmaid.

Anna cringed at the horrible lyrics and off-key singing. "I didn't know Natz was such a bad drinker," she grumbled to Lance.

"Almost as bad as Matt," Lance confirmed with a grin, "Should we take her to the inn?"

"Yeah, I asked for some rooms for you guys earlier," Anna said, steering Natalie away from a table leaden with unopen beer cans.

The three made it to the inn and hauled the mage up the stairs, depositing her onto a bed. Natalie promptly fell asleep, her deep breaths occasionally broken with a hiccup or two. Lance and Anna headed back outside to hear a commotion going on by the altar. They raced towards it to find Matt attacking a chair with Heaven's Gate and raving about being it 'one of _them_ '. The number of empty cans of beer had doubled in their absence. As they watched, Matt stabbed the chair and a Holy Sword came down, disintegrating the offending object. The crowd surrounding the swordsman clapped, _oohed_ , and _ahhed_ at the display.

Matt spotted Anna gaping at him. "Don't worry," the swordsman hollered, "I've taken care of the problem!"

"Matt, I don't think the chair was the problem," Lance said with a shake of his head.

"What?! It was a decoy?" Matt yelled. He began twisting around to find the 'threat' and his eyes fell on a lone table, empty of food, "Ah, ha, it was _you_!"

"Wait, don't-!" Anna yelped a second before the drunken swordsman crashed down on the table, snapping it in half. " _Matt!_ That does it, I'm cutting you off before we don't have any furniture left," the ranger huffed. She walked over to the dazed blond and kicked his sword out of his hand.

Lance scooped up the blade in one hand and dragged Matt away with the other. "I'm just going to say, ' _I told you so_ ' when you have a killer hangover tomorrow," the gunner grumbled.

"Killer? Where? Who?" Matt asked, twisting in the grasp on his collar.

"Me, if you don't quit thrashing," Lance muttered. He readjusted his grip, "Anna, clock him for me."

The ranger stared, "What?"

"You know: smack him unconscious. He'll just head back out after we get him to bed, otherwise," the gunner explained.

"Hmm, good point," Anna she grabbed a piece of firewood off of a stack nearby and clonked Matt over the head. "I hope that didn't damage anything important," she mused.

Lance grunted as he shouldered the inn door open, "Nah, he'll be fine." He deposited the unconscious swordsman on one of the beds in their room and turned to Anna. "Sorry about them, they never know when to stop."

Anna shrugged, "Eh, it was kinda funny. Besides, we did save the world; I think I can forgive a couple pieces of broken furniture." She grinned, "I don't envy them tomorrow, though. Keep Natalie's staves hidden so she can't cure their hangovers. Maybe that will teach them."

Lance smirked, "Good idea; although, they certainly won't think so." He smiled at the ranger and stepped up to her to give her a quick kiss, "Good night, Anna. See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Lance. Sleep well," the ranger said with a soft smile. She closed the room door behind her and walked outside.

The party was still going strong and probably wouldn't end until dawn. Anna skirted the edge of the crowd of revelers, and mused that the idols would have a lot to clean up tomorrow. The ranger was almost home when she spotted Lana and changed her course to speak with the priestess.

"Good evening, Anna," the old woman greeted, "Are you and your friends enjoying the party?"

"We did, although Matt and Natalie might have enjoyed it a little too much. Lance and I got them to the inn and I'm actually headed for bed, now," Anna replied. She hesitated before continuing, "I actually wanted to tell you something."

"You want to keep adventuring with your friends, correct?" Lana asked, smiling when the ranger nodded. "I thought you might, that's why I began training the villagers to defend themselves. Well, that and they need the training, anyway. We had several problems with forest creatures while you were gone and I cannot be bothered to scare all of them off with my magic."

Anna grinned, "Yes, we saw that when we first got back. It looks like you have your work cut out for you. Maybe we can give them a few pointers before we go."

Lana smiled, "That would be helpful. You'll be leaving soon, then? A safe journey to you, and remember that all four of you are welcome here at any time should you need a rest." She bowed to the ranger, "You and your friends have accomplished a great feat in your fight against Godcat. Not many would choose to face Her and then succeed in winning Her favor. I am proud of you Anna, and everything you achieved on your journey. I know your quest was not nearly as easy and glorious as Matt made it seem; yet, you four persevered and now humanity has earned the freedom to continue its existence. At some point I would like to hear the true tale, but for now: good night, and may your dreams be filled with gentle breeze of the forest." With that, the old woman bowed once more and walked away.

Anna stood there for a while, watching after the priestess, long after the woman and melted into the crowd. "It's over," she murmured. "It's over and we won," the ranger said slightly louder, a smile breaking across her face.

A surreal feeling washed over Anna. When she had set out to find the thieves who had stolen from the village, she hadn't expected anything like what had followed. She had met and befriended legends. Together they had traveled the world, delving into deep caverns, traversed jungles, and explored ancient ruins. They had found ancient enemies and treasure. They had faced danger and found love. They had challenged monsters and robots, man and god, and they had won. It had been an epic journey and, she hoped, only the first of many to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to check out this story's sequel, 'Retribution' when I get it up here! Be warned that it is an explicit-rated story, is much more serious, and darker than this one, however.


End file.
